NEW YORK – T.J. Dillashaw had to wait nearly a year to get his hands on UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt, but with UFC 217 just days away, Dillashaw said the wait was worth it.
Dillashaw (14-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) was originally slated to fight Garbrandt (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) at UFC 213 in July after they served as opposing coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 25.” “No Love” suffered a back injury, though, which forced him to withdraw.
UFC officials pushed back the fight four months. However, Dillashaw said he wasn’t bothered by having to wait for his former teammate-turned-rival; now he gets to fight on an even bigger stage.
“Absolutely, it’s worked out perfectly,” Dillashaw said at today’s UFC 217 open workouts. “I get to fight in this historical arena. I couldn’t ask for anything more than fighting on the biggest card. I’m excited to do this.”
UFC 217 takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. Dillashaw challenges Garbrandt in the pay-per-view co-headliner following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
With so much animosity going into the fight, it’s difficult to envision exactly how it will play out. Dillashaw, No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, said he’s prepared for every situation, though, adding that’s going to cause problems for No. 1-ranked Garbrandt.
“I can adapt to every situation,” Dillashaw said. “I can adapt to any fighter.”
For more on UFC 217, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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