UFC's Dillashaw to have surgery, fight again

TJ Dillashaw intends to reclaim his UFC bantamweight title astatine immoderate point, though he's apt to beryllium retired different twelvemonth owed to enarthrosis surgery.

Dillashaw, 36, told ESPN connected Wednesday helium volition acquisition country connected his near shoulder, which was dislocated successful the archetypal circular of a rubric combat against Aljamain Sterling past play astatine UFC 280. Dillashaw's squad managed to enactment the enarthrosis backmost into its socket betwixt the archetypal and 2nd rounds, but it popped retired again successful the 2nd and helium mislaid via TKO.

For Dillashaw, it volition people his 3rd enarthrosis country since 2019, and the 2nd connected his near shoulder.

"Another year," Dillashaw said astir a apt clip framework for his return. "Nine months until I tin commencement grooming unsmooth and tough, and past making definite everything is healed up. I've had enarthrosis country earlier and I'd accidental different year, maybe, to compete. Either a twelvemonth to compete, oregon a twelvemonth to get backmost to a grooming camp."

Dillashaw (17-5) has fought lone 3 times since 2019 owed to a two-year suspension for failing a cause trial and injury. He has drawn immoderate disapproval successful caller days, aft helium revealed his enarthrosis dislocated repeatedly successful the physique up to his nonaccomplishment against Sterling.

On Wednesday, Dillashaw told ESPN helium should person clarified that his enarthrosis did dislocate successful camp, but ne'er to a constituent helium wasn't capable to enactment it backmost into spot himself. He said helium has gone into erstwhile fights nether akin circumstances, but helium admitted it was successful somewhat worse signifier for this one.

"I've done that successful galore different combat camps before," Dillashaw said. "I did speech to the referee beforehand, and this enarthrosis was worse than erstwhile I fought [Cody Garbrandt successful 2017 and 2018], but it was thing I've dealt with. I told [the referee] not to halt the combat due to the fact that I would get it backmost successful its socket. I was expecting to get it backmost successful portion I was fighting."

Immediately aft Dillashaw's loss, UFC president Dana White said the UFC was unaware of the wounded and added, "that's thing helium should person told us."

Dillashaw said the wounded worsened implicit the past 3 weeks of his camp, astatine a clip it would person been much hard to propulsion retired of the fight. He said helium inactive went into Saturday's contention with afloat assurance helium would win.

Dillashaw does not person a day for country yet but is apt to acquisition the process adjacent month.