UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw is expected to challenge UFC Flyweight Champion Henry Cejudo for the gold in the main event of UFC 233.
The bantamweight kingpin claims that the UFC is merely paying him to kill the 125 pound division once and for all.
“The UFC wants to get rid of the division and they hired me to go down and close it and get another belt in the process,” Dillashaw said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “It’s a win-win for me. They’re paying me a f*ck-load of money to move down and kill the 125-pound division and collect a second belt. So, it’s game time.”
It has been rumored that the men’s flyweight division is set to be eliminated after former champion Demetrious Johnson was traded to One Championship a short time ago.
Dillashaw would like to see the best flyweights stick around after the division potentially gets eliminated, so they can challenge for bantamweight gold.
“It seems like I’m gonna take it over, man,” said Dillashaw. “I mean, if I’m the champ in both weight classes, why even have it? All the attention is at 135 anyway so at the end of the day, make the guys that they believe should stick around, come up and challenge for the belt.”
UFC 233 takes place on Saturday, January 26 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California with TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
