TJ Dillashaw has finally broken his silence.
The former UFC bantamweight champion admitted his guilt three weeks after he relinquished his title due to an “adverse finding” in a United States Anti-Doping Agency drug test prior to his January superfight with flyweight champion Henry Cejudo.
“I messed up,” an emotional Dillashaw said in a video statement he posted to Instagram Friday. “I’m having a hard time trying to forgive myself for this, which I should have a hard time. I understand the criticism and the scrutiny coming my way but what I really feel bad about is the bad light I’m bringing on my coaches, my family, my teammates. They had no involvement in this and I feel the worst for them.”
Dillashaw was found with recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) in his system and suspended two years retroactive to the failed test meaning he isn’t eligible to return until Jan. 18, 2021.
EPO is a synthetic hormone that helps the body stimulate red blood cell production, which has shown to have a significant impact on endurance as it “increases submaximal performance more than maximal aerobic capacity.”
Unlike the well-documented cases with Jon Jones or other athletes that have failed drug tests for inexplicable reasons, or to due to contaminated supplements, EPO is not that type of substance. If you pop for EPO, it’s because it was administered.
“I’ve got a 15-month-old son and I want to be a role model for him,” Dillashaw added. “I’ve got to man up to what I did. I accepted all penalties. I didn’t try to fight this thing. I’m going to sit for the next two years. … I’m a fighter. I’ve got to fight my way through this one.
“I want to apologize to my fans, anyone I’ve let down, obviously my family, my coaches and my teammates. I can’t say sorry enough for the stuff you’re dealing with because of me. This won’t be the end of me. I’ll be back and I’m making you a promise now that I’ll be back better, I’ll be back stronger, and I’ll prove the hard work I’ve done is what got me where I’m at and not the bad decision that I made. That’s all I can do. All I can do to redeem myself is work hard. I’ll be better.”
Dillashaw is 16-4 as a professional mixed martial artist with notable knockout victories over former champions Cody Garbrandt and Renan Barao. His loss to Cejudo was a 32-second technical knockout as he attempted to move down in weight to claim the UFC’s 125-pound championship.
You can watch his full four-part statement below.
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