Demetrious Johnson believes Marlon Moraes should be next for TJ Dillashaw
What if Demetrious Johnson were in charge?
The bantamweight division has not had a title defense since August of 2018, and the one before that was November of 2017. To say the division has been held up is an understatement. And it very well appears the next bantamweight title fight will be between champion, T.J. Dillashaw and flyweight champion, Henry Cejudo. Meaning, the top contenders at 135 would once again be left at the top and no title shot imminent.
Well, if former UFC flyweight king and arguably one of the greatest ever, Demetrious Johnson was in charge he wouldn’t have any of these champ-champ fights. Rather, he would do what he and Anderson Silva did and what Jon Jones is doing. That is to defend against the top contenders regardless if it is ‘money’ fights.
“In my personal opinion, if I were to say what would be the best thing to happen if T.J. went off and defended the belt against Marlon Moraes, who’s the number one contender in my personal opinion, and then Henry Cejudo can go defend his belt,” Johnson told Helen Yee Sports.
Johnson believes the champ-champ fights are overdone. With that, the UFC needs to get back into the champion fighting the number one contender.
However, that doesn’t mean Johnson doesn’t think champ-champ fights can’t happen ever again. Rather, he knows there is a time and place for them and right now, it isn’t for the Cejudo-Dillashaw rematch.
“Because a lot of these champ-champ and double champ and all that stuff, it kind of holds the division. When I’m sitting by watching it, I’m ready to see Marlon Moraes get his chance.
“I think when there’s absolutely nobody for those two to compete against, that’s when you do superfights.”
For now, no fights are booked for either Dillashaw or Cejudo, but the hope for Johnson is they do not fight each other next.
