TJ Dillashaw: The UFC Did The Right Thing With Jon Jones

By now, the Jon Jones story is well documented, and everyone knows what has happened. The former light heavyweight champion and pound-for-pound king was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run accident last week in which he supposedly hit a pregnant lady, and then fled the scene only to return to grab some cash and run again. It was then revealed that drugs were found in the former champion’s car and he later turned himself in to Albuquerque Police now facing felony charges.

This isn’t the first time Jones’ has had some issues outside of the Octagon, and when the news of the incident broke, the UFC took immediate action pulling the Jackson-Winklejohn product from his scheduled UFC 187 bout against Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, stripping him of his belt, and suspending Jones indefinitely.

Many fighters and fans have had mixed reactions to the whole situation. It has since been made clear that Johnson will now meet former title challenger Daniel Cormier at UFC 187 for not the interim belt, but the real 205-pound championship. Some fans are even saying that the winner shouldn’t even really be considered the true champion since Jones essentially never lost the belt.

Speaking with MMAJunkie, bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw disagrees, saying that if Jones can’t fix his problems, then he doesn’t deserve to be champion. Dillashaw also added that the winner of the bout should indeed be considered the true champion, and that the UFC handled the situation the right way:

“If Jon Jones can’t figure out his life to where he can live clean and be a professional, then he doesn’t deserve to be the champ, either,” said Dillashaw. “The UFC did the right thing, and whoever wins that fight is going to be a great champion.”

“The Viper” also spoke on his own fighting career, as he is set to return from injury to rematch former 135-pound king Renan Barao at UFC on FOX 16 this July. The two were supposed to rematch at last month’s UFC 186, but Dillashaw was forced out of the bout due to a rib injury, an injury he didn’t think was as bad as it was:

“I figured I had separated cartilage, so I kept practicing for a week, and I even sparred and everything,” Dillashaw said. “Come the weekend, I was driving out to Colorado, and on the long drive out there, I knew something was wrong (with my rib). Every time I coughed or sneezed, it hurt pretty bad. I knew I needed to get it checked out, and I was surprised that I broke it.”

Prior to UFC 186, the two were also supposed to rematch at UFC 177 last August but Barao was forced out due to weight cutting issues, making the fight a long time coming. The champion admits that it gets irritating and frustrating preparing for the same guy over and over again, but it also makes things easier:

“It gets a little irritating preparing for the same guy, but it does make it easier,” he said. “I do know who I’m fighting, and I expect what he’s going to bring. Obviously, he’ll try to bring a little different of a game plan, but when it comes down to it, he’s going to go back to the basics that got him to where he’s at.

“It is frustrating, but it does make life a little easier, game-planning for an opponent and watching tape. It’s a bag of mixed emotions. I’m just ready to beat him and get him behind me and start looking for the next names and continue to build my legacy. Once I beat him again, it’s going to be a great feeling.”

Will both men be able to stay healthy and finally meet a second time?