T.J. Dillashaw, who has a record of thirteen wins and five losses in the 135 lbs division of the UFC, defeated the veteran Renan Barao in an unexpected turn of events back in 2014 as an underdog. However, while fighting Cory Sandhagen, T.J. injured his knee pretty badly, which cost him another year of fighting. Even though he won that fight via split decision, the consequences weigh more.
The once thought to be the greatest bantamweight in UFC history has surfaced on social media with a bald picture of himself. This comes after T.J. Dillashaw came out of his shoulder surgery. In the picture, we can see the former UFC champion with a shoulder brace and a bigger body frame.
Due to his recent picture that shocked everyone, suspicions of T.J. being back on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) have been making the rounds on the internet. His build looked extremely jacked, even with a shoulder injury for a former 135 lbs Champion.
The video shows T.J. shaving his head when he says, “Two weeks post-op, shoulder surgery, full-blown shoulder replacement. Stuck in this gunslinger brace, it’s like a cartoon where they have the cast with the broomstick [inaudible]”.
TJ Dillashaw 2 weeks post shoulder surgery .#MMA pic.twitter.com/xYJ7FsugnH
— munchnews (@MUNCHmma) October 5, 2023
T.J. Dillashaw further added, “But I got to wear this for another three weeks, no showers just sponge bathin’. It’s a pain in the butt to wash the hair so I decided to cut it all off [laughs]. What do you think?” Even though the surgery looked severe, the former UFC star still looks optimistic about his decision to shave his head.
A fan on X even said, “Now he’s free to use all the steroids he always wanted“. “I’m okay with injured fighters using steroids to heal up. I’m not saying he’s using. I obviously don’t know,” another fan said regarding the suspicion.
The audience has also been calling him “Conor McGregor” since he was accused of using PEDs post-injury. Another user said, “That juice be heavy,” referring to the steroids. “Steroids kinda do that to you,” a fan reacted. As per reports, Dillashaw suffered a shoulder injury many times before his Henry Cejudo fight. It wasn’t until after his suspension that he went in for surgery.
T.J. has been cursed with shoulder injuries for several years and has had many surgeries in the past to repair his torn labrum. Based on the expert opinion of renowned sports medicine doctor Dr. Brian Sutterer, Dillashaw’s labrum is highly susceptible to injury due to his history of multiple injuries.
The use of PEDs in the UFC has significantly increased, even with the strict repercussions from USADA. It was shocking how many athletes have been using it in the past.
T.J. Dillashaw’s history with PEDs
In the fight against Henry Cejudo in the flyweight division, T.J. Dillashaw tested positive for using recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) prior to the fight by USADA after the fight. T.J. lost within thirty-two seconds of the first round and was banned from fighting in the UFC for two years.
TJ Dillashaw speaks for the first time since testing positive for EPO and being suspended two years by USADA (via @TJDillashaw) pic.twitter.com/8j3oAmPr9N
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 12, 2019
UFC president Dana White praised Dillashaw for accepting the use of PEDs, saying “He took it like a man. You’ve got to respect him for that.” Dillashaw admitted his use of EPO and explained how it was a bad decision as he had to lose 10 lbs for the flyweight division.
T.J. Dillashaw is believed to be among the most tested athletes in the organization. And his grave mistake of using EPO to cut to 125 lbs, which cost him two of his prime years, in which he could have regained his title at 135 lbs.