ABU DHABI – UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is baffled by T.J. Dillashaw calling him a quitter.
Sterling (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) defends his title against Dillashaw (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 280 co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.
Dillashaw said Sterling has a quit button, but the champion challenges anyone to point to a fight or a moment where he gave up.
“Show me a fight where I quit,” Sterling asked MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 280 media day. “Show me one fight where I quit where I said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna pack it in, turn over and go home. Hey ref, I’m gonna cover up and pretend I can’t defend myself or fight anymore because I’m tired and I’m just gonna roll over and wait for the ref to save me then get up and go what happened, what happened, what? I was still fighting.’ What fight have I ever done that?”
Sterling, who’s still convinced that Dillashaw is taking performance-enhancing drugs, doesn’t agree with Dillashaw’s claim that he’s the greatest bantamweight of all time.
“For him to go out and say he’s the greatest bantamweight of all time right now just shows his arrogance which is exactly what I talk about,” Sterling said. “And I can’t wait to just bring him a little bit of humble pie.”
He continued, “He’s definitely one of the best, I think it’s crazy for him to say that he’s the best. Based on what? I mean you got Dominick Cruz who still has the most wins based on his WEC title wins and his UFC wins as well. I know it was a different era and a different time, but he’s still up there.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.
