Duane Ludwig: Demetrious Johnson vs. TJ Dillashaw Needs To Happen
Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw’s head coach Duane “Bang” Ludwig is more than confident in his star pupil’s ability to make 125 pounds.
Now that Dillashaw is once again champion, the push for a super fight with flyweight kingpin Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson seems to be inevitable. Both Dana White and Dillashaw have actively campaigned for the bout.
Now, the question is can Dillashaw make flyweight? Ludwig says he absolutely can:
“We were en route to fight Demetrious at one point and the direction he was taking with his strength and conditioning coach, T.J. was looking phenomenal on the mitts and the sparring and the training and he looked good, his spirits were good,” Ludwig said. “So obviously we didn’t make 125 and fight and compete, but when were were en route of that, nothing really changed. T.J.’s not a big ‘35er, so he can make ‘25. It’s not going to be easy, but he’s the most dedicated person that I’ve ever seen. He really is.”
Dillashaw took back the bantamweight belt after knocking out undefeated champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC 217. He had prior campaigned for the “Mighty Mouse” fight when Ray Borg had pulled out of his first scheduled fight with the flyweight champ at UFC 215. Johnson opted to wait to fight Borg at UFC 216 rather than take on Dillashaw.
With “Mighty Mouse” lacking a bit in terms of PPV sales, a super fight with the bantamweight champion could prove to be a hit for sales and PPV buys. Demetrious Johnson has also cleared out his division two times over, and is in desperate need of fresh title challengers, according to Ludwig:
“I think it needs to happen,” Ludwig said. “Demetrious, he’s fighting the top guys – this works out because (Joseph) Benavidez is out right now, he’s still having to wait a couple of months with his knee surgery, so it works out time-wise, so in my eyes I would like to see T.J. drop down, fight Demetrious, and then go back to ‘35.”
Are you behind a Dillashaw vs “Mighty Mouse” super fight? Can TJ make flyweight?
