Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw ends talk of rumored return: “I’m f*cking done”

Don’t expect to see former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw back in the UFC anytime soon.

The 38-year-old has been retired for almost two years now. In October 2022, T.J. Dillashaw attempted to win bantamweight gold for the third time against then-champion Aljamain Sterling. However, the former titleholder had a very tough training camp. While Dillashaw had shoulder injuries in the past, the issues became much worse in training for ‘The Funk Master’.

Just minutes into their UFC 280 contest, T.J. Dillashaw dislocated his shoulder. While he continued to fight on, the former champion wound up being stopped in the second round. Following the defeat, Dillashaw decided to retire from MMA. Given the injuries, his age, and his incredible career, it was an easy decision.

However, there have been rumors that T.J. Dillashaw could return since then. The 38-year-old has continued to share posts on social media since his retirement, showing himself in great shape. In a post earlier this year, Dillashaw stated that the “future was bright”, and that he hoped to have news about his future soon.

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Former UFC champion T.J. Dillashaw shoots down rumors of possible return

However, don’t expect to see the former bantamweight back in action in the future. Speaking on a recent edition of the JAXXON Podcast, T.J. Dillashaw discussed UFC 303. There, he praised upcoming prospect Diego Lopes and mentioned that there was zero chance of him competing in the cage again.

“It’s exciting, and it’s sad at the same time.” T.J. Dillashaw stated during the podcast, discussing UFC 303 and watching fights in retirement. “Like, I’m f*cking done, you know what I mean? I was forced out of the sport and it sucks. I felt like I had so much more to give still. It is exciting [to watch fights still]. But that’s the way I look at it.”

While T.J. Dillashaw likely won’t return to fighting, in MMA, you can never say never. However, given his long history of injuries, the likelihood of the 38-year-old fighting again is very low.

What do you make of these comments from the former UFC champion? Do you want to see T.J. Dillashaw fight again?