TJ Dillashaw slams Dominick Cruz for ducking and running from him

Published Feb. 27, 2017 3:36 p.m. ET

Damon Martin

The moment the decision was read back in January that saw Dominick Cruz crowned as the UFC bantamweight champion for the second time, TJ Dillashaw has been gunning for a rematch.

Dillashaw believed he defeated Cruz on that night and he's been clamoring for a second shat at him ever since, but still hasn't been granted a rematch.

Since then, Dillashaw's former teammate Cody Garbrandt has become a popular pick to potentially get the next title shot instead after developing an intense rivalry with Cruz over interviews and social media.

Dillashaw holds no ill will towards Garbrandt going for gold, but he's just about fed up with Cruz mentioning every fight and matchup in the world while still seemingly avoiding a rematch with him.

"I don't think there's a debate on who is the No. 1 contender. I think there's just a debate about who's going to get the title shot," Dillashaw told the Fight Society podcast this week. "No offense to Cody — Cody's doing a great job, he's promoting himself, he's knocking people out, more power to him, I've got nothing against the guy, he's doing a great job and I don't hold anything against him.

"It's more the fact that Dominick Cruz is trying to hand select who he wants to fight."

Dillashaw didn't pull any punches while talking about Cruz and how he believes the current bantamweight champion is willing to fight almost anybody him.

It's gotten to the point where Dillashaw truly believes Cruz is scared to face him in a rematch because the results wouldn't go his way a second time.

"He's running as far and hard as he can and he's doing a good job at it. He's enticing these people that are into the drama and the reality TV of fighting rather than the actual sport," Dillashaw said.

[pullquote align="center" attribution="— TJ Dillashaw"]I really do believe he's ducking me. I'm the toughest fight and he doesn't want that fight.[/pullquote]

Dillashaw says following their first fight earlier this year, Cruz even approached him and congratulated him on the win before the decision was read out loud.

Of course, Cruz celebrated when he got the win but Dillashaw says deep down inside the current bantamweight champion knows he was gifted with a decision that night and he'll never be that lucky again.

"He knows that I have the best chance of getting that belt and he doesn't want to fight me. I know that's the case because he came and congratulated me. As soon as the bell rang in the fifth round, he came and congratulated me and told me 'hey man I just wanted to let you know that I am a martial artist and I do show respect, I was just hyping up the fight, congratulations, I didn't do too bad for being out that long'. His coaches congratulated my coaches and they thought that I won the fight," Dillashaw revealed.

Dillashaw knows that Cruz is a talented fighter and he's not taking it for granted that the rematch will be tough, but he's ready to send the current bantamweight champion back to the broadcast booth where he truly belongs.

"I'm thinking he's trying to stay on top as long as he can," Dillashaw said. "He's already pushing for a second job in commentating, which he does a great job of, I do think he does a great job of commentating. He's got a great knowledge base of the sport and he does his homework and I think he's looking to his second career and he's trying to stay on top until he does that and I think he knows that I'm going to steal it from him."

Listen to Dillashaw and UFC 204 co-main event fighter Gegard Mousasi on the latest edition of the Fight Society podcast. Download and subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or Soundcloud.