MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 16: T.J. Dillashaw reacts to his win over Issei Tamura in their bantamweight bout during the UFC 158 event at Bell Centre on March 16, 2013 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
T.J. Dillashaw and coach believe Max Holloway poses a bigger challenge than moving down to flyweight
T.J. Dillashaw is set to go down in weight to take on flyweight champion, Henry Cejudo on Saturday. Dillashaw is looking to become the next champ-champ in the UFC. However, for Dillashaw, the plan is to become the first ever champ-champ-champ.
Before he can do that though, Dillashaw will have to fight Cejudo and fight the scales to make 125 pounds. Following that, a fight against featherweight champion, Max Holloway is something Dillashaw would like to accomplish.
“Everyone wants me to go to featherweight and fight Max,” Dillashaw said during a recent Instagram live video. “I would love to. But look, one step at a time. Let’s run through Cejudo first then Max can be next. [I can] be the first one to ever go for three belts.”
Although many questions if Dillashaw will be able to make 125 pounds, for Dillashaw and his camp that is not a worry. What is a worry though is when he moves up to featherweight to fight Holloway. They believe moving up in weight is a bigger challenge than moving down and fighting Cejudo.
“I think that would be more of a challenge to go up in weight than it has been to go down in weight,” Ludwig told MMAjunkie. “T.J. is not a big bantamweight anyway. Going up in weight, that’s when we’ll see more change.
“I assume he would become possibly a little slower but have more power. But we’ll see what ends up happening if that’s the journey for us. Right now we’re focused on the task at hand.”
For now, the focus remains on Henry Cejudo and making 125 pounds. Once that happens and if Dillashaw gets his hand raised on Saturday night, he may very well move to featherweight soon to become a champ-champ-champ.
“Would I move up to 145? Absolutely,” he said. “I would love to. I’m a professional. I train hard. Making (125) has been a process in its own. … To get my body down there and do it the right way. (145) would have to be the same thing, it would be a lot of work.”
