TJ Dillashaw's joining of the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association might have caused him his chance of avenging his bantamweight title loss to Dominick Cruz. It happened after he said that UFC president Dana White told him that he would "push" for the rematch.
Dillashaw told MMA Fighting that after losing his UFC bantamweight belt to Cruz last January, he begged White to give him a rematch. He even said that he would do "whatever" UFC wanted him to do. Instead, he received a fight against John Lineker in a bantamweight title eliminator on at UFC 207 on Dec. 30.
Also, after talking to White, Dillashaw was told to give the UFC president a call back in the following days but White did not call back. Worse, it is in social media that he knew about lower-ranked Coby Garbrandt getting the title shot against Cruz.
The 30-year-old said he felt disrespected that he did not get a phone call that he will not get the title shot since he took a fight before on just a day's notice. He faced Joe Soto in August 2014 when UFC "begged" him to fight a day before the event. Not receiving a call may have prompted him to join the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association.
Dillashaw was one of the several UFC fighters to join the MMAAA alongside former welterweight king George St-Pierre and ex-heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez in an attempt to negotiate with the UFC about the welfare of fighters.
However, the 5-foot-6 fighter is wary that his choice of joining the MMAAA would eventually come to haunt his UFC career, he told MMA Junkie. The USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie's No.2 bantamweight fighter said that he thinks about of his decision a lot of times but said he wants to make a statement and push for what is right for them UFC fighters. He concluded that he will finish Lineker as they face each other on Friday, December 30.
Watch the video below of Dillashaw's comments about receiving a title shot: