T.J. Dillashaw on Dominick Cruz: 'I'd be happy to put him back in retirement'
T.J. Dillashaw didn't appreciate Dominick Cruz's words very much.
Cruz, the former UFC bantamweight champion, won his return fight against Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178 on Saturday night by first-round TKO. Afterward, Cruz said he wanted a title shot against current champ Dillashaw, referring to him and his Team Alpha Male training partners as "Alpha Fails."
"I thought he looked good and I am happy for him to be able to return," Dillashaw told UFC Tonight's Ariel Helwani. "I thought his 'Alpha Fail' [line] was a little uncalled for since I've shown nothing but respect, but I'd be happy to put him back in retirement."
Cruz's feud with Team Alpha Male mostly stems from his rivalry with Urijah Faber, the patriarch of the group. Faber beat Cruz in 2007, but Cruz avenged the loss at UFC 132 in 2011. The two were supposed to coach against each other on The Ultimate Fighter in 2012 before Cruz tore his ACL.
After undergoing a pair of surgeries and rehabbing a torn groin, Cruz returned from nearly three years away from the Octagon on Saturday night. His belt was taken away during the time off due to inactivity. UFC president Dana White said after Cruz Mizugaki that he would get the next title shot. Dillashaw said "The Dominator" deserves the nod.
"I'm not complaining, because I've wanted to fight him for a long time," Dillashaw said.
No date has been set, but Dillashaw-Cruz is fixing to be the most anticipated bantamweight title fight in UFC history.
