UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson is defending the gold in a rematch against Henry Cejudo in the co-main event of UFC 227.
The flyweight champion and UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw have been rumored to be fighting for awhile now, but Johnson says he accepted the fight before suffering an shoulder injury and then having surgery.
“I accepted the fight, I got injured, I had surgery, and they never offered it to me after I got injured,” Johnson said on the UFC 227 media conference call. “When they offered it to me I accepted, I got injured and got surgery, and then when it came time to fight again, from my understanding, from my management’s point of view, T.J. got offered to fight Cody (Garbrandt) with a brand new deal, so God bless him for getting a new deal to fight Cody. So the entire lead-up to this fight, even in July, I was never offered to fight T.J. Dillashaw. Before I got injured I was up for fighting him, then they moved on and went with Cody and T.J.”
Dillashaw is headlining the upcoming UFC 227 card, facing former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt in a rematch.
Johnson is still willing to battle Dillashaw in a super fight, as long as the money is right.
“If the money’s right,” Johnson said. “I’ve always been up front about these super fights. Everyone keeps asking me. If the money’s not there and the compensation’s not there, then I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. It’s obviously up to my management to make that happen. My management knows what I want, the UFC knows what I want and for me, I just show up and fight the No. 1 contender in the flyweight division and will continue to do that until something comes to my table that’s appetizing.”
UFC 227 takes place on Saturday, August 4 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California with TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garnrandt headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
