NEW YORK – The rivalry between former training partners Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw has reached a boiling point, with the current UFC champ and ex-champ going back and forth several times at the UFC 217 press conference.

Sitting at opposite sides of the dais, Garbrandt (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) doubled down on an accusation Dillashaw (14-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) injured a former teammate in practice and ended his career. He again accused Dillashaw of using performance-enhancing drugs, declaring, “You’re the one who showed everyone how to do it on Team Alpha Male.”

Dillashaw fought to remain above the fray but was drawn into several exchanges with Garbrandt. When the two faced off for cameras, the pair had to be held at bay by UFC President Dana White as they jawed at each other.

The fight represents the culmination of a long-simmering feud between Dillashaw and his former training partners at Team Alpha Male, which he left in 2015 with a contract offer from a sponsor. Since then, Garbrandt has been among his most vocal enemies. Tension boiled over when the UFC cast them as opposing coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 25,” with Garbrandt once assaulting Dillashaw before cooler heads prevailed.

Asked by MMAjunkie whether the title or settled rivalry is more important on Saturday, when they meet in the pay-per-view co-headliner at Madison Square Garden, the fighters quickly devolved into name-calling.

Team Alpha Male drama

“He just needs the money – that’s why he’s here,” Garbrandt told MMAjunkie. “He wanted to fight (Demetrious) ‘Mighty Mouse’ (Johnson). That’s why. He’s the money fight.”

“I don’t understand the animosity coming from him,” Dillashaw countered. “It’s a little bit ridiculous. Do I need to hold his hand and tuck him in at night? Why’s he so mad?”

“You’re a liar and a cheap-shotter,” Garbrandt interrupted. “You heard it from the horse’s mouth.”

“I’m not your daddy. (Team Alpha Male founder) Urijah (Faber) is your daddy,” Dillashaw replied. “He’ll be there to hold your hand, baby. There’s never been any drama on my side as you can tell.”

Who’s telling the truth on Chris Holdsworth?

Much of the recent drama is centered around Dillashaw’s past with the team. Garbrandt claimed the ex-champ injured Team Alpha Male fighter and “The Ultimate Fighter 18” winner Chris Holdsworth during a practice, causing a concussion with a knee. Holdsworth backed Garbrandt in an interview on “The MMA Hour.”

Dillashaw denied injuring Holdsworth and implied the story was manufactured to promote the event and get in his head.

“It’s all happening at the perfect time – the week of the fight,” he said. “Like, c’mon, man, this is all super predictable.”

“There’s truth to it, just like I knocked him out and have a video of it,” Garbrandt said. “How many times did I (expletive) you up in practice?”

“Zero, mother(expletive),” Dillashaw shot back. “We’re going to find out.”

“Saturday, you’re going to find out, mother(expletive), how baddass I am,” Garbrandt interrupted.

“You can talk all you want, show your insecurities, show who you really are,” Dillashaw continued. “We’re going to get out there. I’m going to have a smile on my face, and I’m going to break your ass.”

“How many times did Holdsworth make you cry?” Garbrandt replied. “How many times did Duane Ludwig come up to Holdsworth and go, ‘Hey grasshopper, take it easy on T.J. today?'”

“How many times did you quit practice? All the (expletive) time,” Dillashaw said.

“I’m going to make you quit,” Garbrandt concluded. “You can do all the conditioning in the world with your new coach. But you can’t condition that (expletive) chin of yours.”

More PED claims

One of Garbrandt’s most explosive allegations earlier this month was that Dillashaw used performance-enhancing drugs. Today during the press conference, he made the same accusation and implied Dillashaw had conspired to help other Team Alpha Male fighters dope.

As pre-fight talk goes, it’s not uncommon to hear fighters call each other out for PED use. But for Dillashaw, it was another unwelcome issue to address.

“The guy’s on everything,” Garbrandt said. “He’s done everything.”

“Yeah, I’m on everything,” Dillashaw sarcastically replied. “They test me every day, so I’m on everything.”

“You’re the one who showed everyone how to do it on Team Alpha Male,” Garbrandt said.

“Yeah, I’m the one that’s now bringing it in,” Dillashaw countered.

“I speak the facts,” Garbrandt said.

What’s at stake

For Garbrandt, the fight is a chance to prove once and for all he’s the better fighter. Not only that, he gets to have the last word for Team Alpha Male after accusing the ex-champ of abandoning the team and lying about the circumstances surrounding it.

Garbrandt said his time at the gym served as a road map for his rise to the title.

“I came out there at 1-0,” he said. “I was a kid with a dream. He was at his pinnacle. He was interim champion at the time. He gave me the supreme confidence to chase this goal, that I knew I was going to be a world champion working with this fool. So I have supreme confidence that I’m going to go in there on Saturday and knock his ass out early in this fight.”

Asked whether the emotions surrounding the fight are helpful or detrimental, Dillashaw conceded the drama with Garbrandt has been a challenge. But it’s also helped him improve as a competitor.

“My emotions are always in line,” he said. “It’s something I’ve had to learn how to control, though.”

Garbrandt couldn’t let his former teammate have the last word, though.

“Exactly, he had to learn how to control after he injured his training partners,” the champ said.

“I’m always learning, brother,” Dillashaw replied. “Always getting better.”

For more on UFC 217, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.