TJ Dillashaw is obsessed with reclaiming a UFC championship this summer, and says his path to doing so has likely turned to Demetrious Johnson.
Officially, Dillashaw (14-3) is scheduled to challenge bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt (11-0) at UFC 213 on July 8 in Las Vegas -- but that fight is in serious jeopardy due to an injury to Garbrandt's back.
As of Sunday afternoon, Dillashaw told ESPN.com he was "99 percent" certain Garbrandt would not be able to fight in July. He added, however, UFC president Dana White has already signed off on a proposed backup plan to drop to 125 pounds and challenge Johnson (26-2-1), a 10-time defending champion.
"I was told that if Cody is out of the fight, which I am 99 percent sure he is, I will be fighting [Johnson] in August," Dillashaw told ESPN.com. "I texted Dana White three days ago to ask what the deal was. He told me Cody had one more day of injections [in Germany] and then we'd find out what was going on.
"Dana was really excited about that. I don't know if [Johnson] wants to turn down the fight or what. I don't really know how that works. I've never turned down a fight from the UFC before. I don't know if you're really allowed to -- but Dana was very excited about it."
Last week, White confirmed to ESPN.com he's in favor of the Dillashaw, Johnson matchup, should Garbrandt officially be ruled out of UFC 213. The promotion has not yet announced a pay-per-view event in August, but is looking at having Johnson headline an event in Seattle. The 30-year-old champ fights out of Kirkland, Washington.
Johnson is currently tied with former middleweight champion Anderson Silva for the most consecutive title defenses in UFC history. He has been relatively quiet regarding Dillashaw's interest in fighting him.
Earlier this month, when news of Garbrandt's back injury first became public, Johnson told MMAFighting.com he felt Dillashaw would be cutting the line at 125 pounds if he were to receive an immediate title shot. Dillashaw adamantly disputed that notion on Sunday.
"If this fight doesn't happen, it really comes down to him not wanting to fight me," Dillashaw said. "I'm cutting in line? Are you kidding? That was the weakest cop-out ever.
"I want to fight the best fighter in the world and I think he does nothing but tarnish his legacy if he doesn't take it. He can't call himself the greatest of all time if there are big fights coming to him and he's turning them down. He wants to break a record fighting someone no one's ever heard of? Why not make this thing epic and sell it? He's been talking about getting paid; this is the way to do it."
Dillashaw has been training primarily out of Southern California as of late, as he's linked up with California-based nutritionist Sam Calavitta. Dillashaw says Calavitta takes a numerical, data-based approach to weight cutting and they've already calculated a plan that will get him to 125 pounds. Dillashaw said he hasn't been that light since high school.
"The way I'm going to do it is switch up the way I work out," Dillashaw said. "I'm still going to eat well, but my diet will be very different. It will almost be an Ironman [triathlon] approach, lot of aerobic workouts. It's going to be a hell of a change for me. I'm not a big 135-pounder but I'm lean year-round.
"Right now, I'm at like 9 percent body fat. I'm willing to cut myself to a little under 6 percent. We've got it all calculated out and it's going to be a lot of work, but if the juice is worth the squeeze, you do it."
Dillashaw said he doesn't know what he'll do long term, should he win the title at 125 pounds. He says he probably would have attempted the drop sooner, were it not for his close friendship with perennially ranked flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez. Dillashaw said he never wanted to take an opportunity away from Benavidez, but Benavidez is currently sidelined with a knee injury.
"Everything has just come together on this," Dillashaw said. "Meeting a coach who can safely get me to the weight, Joseph's situation being out for a while, Demetrious trying to break the record of all-time title defenses -- I want to be in big money fights and this is one of them.
"Here's your chance to go down as the greatest of all time. I feel if he goes another way, you have to put an asterisk next to his name. I don't feel like he'd be stepping up the way he should if he wants to be the greatest of all time."