Last night at UFC Vegas 17, there were a couple of key matchups in the bantamweight division. Rob Font defeated Marlon Moraes and Jose Aldo defeated Chito Vera. Both are big wins for those two in the UFC’s bantamweight division.
After the fight was over, both men had something in common during their post-fight interviews. Both Rob Font and Jose Aldo called out former UFC bantamweight champion, TJ Dillashaw, after they won their fights.
In all honesty, both of those matchups would make perfect sense for Dillashaw’s UFC return. Dillashaw’s suspension ends next month and he said he’s looking to fight in March. However, he wanted a title shot upon his return to the division.
Given the current timelines, it’s highly unlikely Dillashaw will get that title shot. That being said, the UFC will likely try to give Dillashaw a high profile fight like Jose Aldo when he returns to the division. Dillashaw issues a response to the callouts last night on Twitter.Â
After Aldo called for the fight, Dillashaw said, “I heard everyone is calling me out, cause they all know that’s my belt.” It’s worth noting that Dillashaw never lost the UFC bantamweight title. He relinquished the belt after he tested positive for EPO.
Dillashaw’s UFC Return
The last time we saw Dillashaw in the UFC was when he was finished by Henry Cejudo at flyweight in the first minute of their fight. After the fight, Dillashaw popped for EPO and was suspended for two years.
He never lost his UFC title at 135 pounds which is why he was campaigning for an immediate title shot. However, I think the UFC is going to go with the Dominick Cruz route with Dillashaw.
After Cruz was out for a few years with an injury, the promotion gave him top contender, Takeya Mizugaki. This fight was a way for Cruz to get his feet wet in the octagon. He looked incredible in that return bout.
Dillashaw is not going to get an immediate title shot. However, I think the UFC should really attempt to book him against Jose Aldo. Aldo proved last night he’s still one of the best in the world and he’s got a big name.
A matchup between the two former UFC champions makes all the sense in the world. If Dillashaw comes out and dominates Jose Aldo, he will be right back into a title shot trying to get the belt back that he never lost in the cage.