TJ Dillashaw Believes Coaching Staff Will Lead To Domination Of Dominick Cruz
UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw made a big change going into tonight’s UFC Fight Night 81 main event title bout against Dominick Cruz from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
He left California and Team Alpha Male, which is owned by fellow UFC fighter Urijah Faber, for a more lucrative contract to train at Team Elevation in Colorado.
Team Alpha Male’s striking coach Duane Ludwig also left the team to move to Colorado to coach Dillashaw. These two moves made big waves not only in the gym but in the headlines as well. Why? Well, because Dillashaw and Faber are big talkers, who put their dirty laundry in the public eye.
Going into UFC Fight Night 81, Dillashaw discussed the move and said that training with Ludwig is a match made in heaven.
“I knew that first practice. It’s kind of crazy to say that after the first practice, but he came in and started running practice and the way he kind of demanded respect,” Dillashaw told FOX Sports about his first session with Ludwig. “Also, the way he ran practice is the way that I would run practice, the way that I actually drilling on my own in the past.
“When Duane showed up and started running practices that way, I knew me and him were going to be a match made in heaven.”
Dillashaw explained that Ludwig is a hard worker and that Ludwig’s goals are now his.
“I can’t do what Duane does because it would be too much for me,” Dillashaw said. “What Duane does is, my goals are now Duane’s goals. When you have a coach that works just as hard as you if not harder, that’s hard to find.”
Thus, this makes Dillashaw have confidence that a champion needs to have. Especially going into the main event of UFC Fight Night 81.
“It gives me so much more confidence to have that behind you. I feel very prepared. I feel confident and prepared and ready to show what I’ve been doing,” Dillashaw said. “Not only working with Duane but the other three or four coaches who have had eyes on me.”
Dillashaw will be defending his title tonight at UFC Fight Night 81 against former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
