TJ Dillashaw doubts he will be able to compete again.
The former two-time UFC bantamweight champion underwent multiple shoulder surgeries after losing the title fight to Aljamain Sterling in October 2022. Dillashaw entered the fight injured and ended up dislocating his shoulder during the fight.
It’s been a long road to recovery for the 38-year-old Dillashaw (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC), who is still in the recovery process. When asked by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson if he still wants to pursue his goal of becoming a jiu-jitsu black belt, Dillashaw didn’t give a positive answer.
“I still can’t even lift my arm in the air,” Dillashaw said on “JAXXON PODCAST.” “I don’t even know if my shoulder will ever be the same again. It’s very depressing. As a competitor, you have to be deceptively optimistic, but that’s what put me in this position. It’s getting worse and worse with each surgery.
“I had a huge surgery. I looked for the best specialist in the world and it’s as if he had never seen anything like it. It looked like a bomb had gone off there. … There’s a lot of healing to be done, and I hope that maybe it’s like if I stay after my PTs, it makes everything better and better and better, but this is my third surgery since my last fight, and it’s not feeling good.
Dillashaw retired after losing to Sterling but said he would consider returning if his shoulder healed. But with his shoulder still causing him problems, Dillashaw appears to have completely closed the door on his return.
“It’s exciting and sad at the same time.” Dillashaw said about watching fights. “Like, I’m done, you know what I mean? I was forced out of the sport and it sucks. I feel like I still had a lot more to give. It’s exciting. That’s how I see things.”
