With Cody Garbrandt Out, Who Will TJ Dillashaw Fight Next?

Cody Garbrandt has officially been pulled from UFC 213, and MMA fans around the world are now asking who will TJ Dillashaw fight next.

One of the biggest rivalries in MMA will continue a little longer than expected. Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw were scheduled to face off on July 8th after the Ultimate Figher: Redemption finale, but a severe back injury to Garbrandt has forced him to pull out of the fight.

No news has come out regarding who will TJ Dillashaw fight next. According to the media, a number of options are being considered, although it’s likely that nothing will be decided until Cody gets word on when he can begin training again. Now let’s take a look at a few of TJ’s options.

Dillashaw waits for Cody Garbrandt to recover

The most common and probably most logical move for TJ Dillashaw is to sit on the sidelines until Cody Garbrandt is set to return. Their feud has garnered massive attention from fans and the media, and when they face off it will likely be the biggest fight in the history of the bantamweight division.

Tj Dillashaw’s past odds

• Vs. Joe Soto: -1000
• Vs. Renan Barao: -170
• Vs. Dominick Cruz: -140
• Vs. Raphael Assuncao: -350
• Vs. John Lineker: -200

Before the fight was canceled, Garbrandt was entering in as the betting favorite according to most online sportsbooks in the US. He is one of the only fighters to defeat Dominick Cruz, and has proven himself to be one of the biggest hitters south of 155 pounds. Garbrandt is still the favorite for the future match with odds of 1.74.

Dillashaw is a former champ in his own right, but his loss to Dominick Cruz has led some MMA betting experts to believe he’ll fall short against Garbrandt. A bet on TJ here might be a solid wager, as he’s listed as the slight underdog according to Intertops with odds of 2.05.

TJ takes a fight with Demetrious Johnson

Who will TJ Dillashaw fight next? No one really knows, but one name being thrown around is the 125 pound king, Demetrious Johnson. Dillashaw has publically called for the contest since the fight with Cody fell through.

In some ways, this contest doesn’t make a ton of sense. TJ has never competed at 125 pounds, and there are a number of contenders that you could argue deserve a shot at Johnson. Still, money talks in today’s UFC, and if the fans want it, it’s likely to materialize.

Johnson is one of the most dominant fighters we’ve ever seen compete inside the UFC, and recently tied the record for most title defenses at 9. He would be the smaller man here, but would likely still come in as the betting favorite according to sites like Intertops.

TJ is forced to fight another 135 pound contender

Perhaps the worst case scenario for Dillashaw would be if Garbrandt is out for a substantial amount of time, and Demetrious Johnson refuses to take the fight. If that happens, it seems likely that TJ would be forced to take a fight with yet another top contender at 135 pounds.

In terms of who will TJ Dillashaw fight next besides the champ, only one real person makes sense. A rematch with Dominick Cruz would likely be his best option, as the two had an extremely close fight in the past and the winner would unquestionably deserve a shot at the belt.

In these two men’s first contest, TJ came in as the slight MMA betting favorite with odds of 1.71, while Cruz came in as the underdog at 2.40, according to Intertops. Dominick managed to make US gambling news with a win in the first fight, and would likely enter as the favorite in the rematch.

It’s a true disappointment that the fight with Garbrandt has been called off, but a number of exciting possibilities are still on the horizon for the bantamweight division. Who will TJ Dillashaw fight next? We’ll just have to wait and see.