T.J. Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz have been throwing shots at each other for the longest time.
Based on the interviews and conferences, Cruz is getting better at this exchange of words leading up to the MMA fight, or so they say. Urijah Faber thinks neither of them are doing great at the whole bantering thing.
“Getting the better? Both of them look like duds. Dominick seriously reminds me of a third grader who is throwing out little insults and running behind this school yard teacher. It’s not that interesting. I just caught the little tidbit they had last time and it’s like, these guys just look like they’re irritating. Well, T.J. looks irritated, Dominick looks irritating. I’m not looking forward to hearing any of the talk. I’m going to do my best to avoid it. I’ll just speak my mind when my turn’s up,” Faber said.
Faber, however, shared what he has been hearing more lately- the ones that Dillashaw are saying in the interviews about him. Faber was Dillashaw’s former training partner and mentor a while back, and even though both MMA fighters haven’t really directed their shots against each other, the statements that both camps appear to be somehow passive aggressive. Faber, however, made it clear that he has no ill feelings towards Dillashaw personally. If Dillashaw is feeling there is actually something going between the two of them, Faber said those are totally not related to him.
“Here’s what happened. That guy gets bombarded. The whole Mystic Mac, Conor McGregor calls him a snake in the grass and made that thing, so he’s getting harassed at all times, but I never said he was a snake in the grass. I never said anything. Now, is he? That’s up for argument. I never said anything about the guy except it didn’t make sense to me he would turn his back on what got him to where he is. Perception is reality,” Faber said.
Faber, who is a former WEC featherweight champion, made it clear that whatever issue Dillashaw and him have right now, those are all related to their business with the team. Faber recalls that Dillashaw wanted to train with them during off season, but at the same time, represent his new MMA team in Colorado. Faber said that he told Dillashaw a set up like that will not work, at least for them. After this, Faber said Dillashaw became distant and resentful.
“That’s not the way a team works. I’m not saying anything bad about the guy other than you can’t do that,” Faber said.
Another issue that Dillashaw talked about in the interviews is the coaching history he encountered in Team Alpha Male. Faber said that these allegations were way out of line, considering that Dillashaw has been with them for years.
“Are you kidding me, man? Perception is reality. So, it’s a big F U to all the coaches he’s had throughout the years. The bottomline is I never said anything about the guy and he’s upset because he’s getting harassed because of his actions, but that’s not my doing. That’s the world observing and having their own reaction to things,” Faber said.
The two have yet to face each other and settle their misunderstandings with the issue. For now, Faber says that he is leaning towards T.J. to win over Cruz in the upcoming fight.
“I think this fight is going to be a fight between two great fighters and the best guy’s going to win. I’m leaning towards T.J,” he said.