It’s been a terrible start to the year for T.J. Dillashaw, and things are only getting worse.
After being knocked out by flyweight king Henry Cejudo in a champ vs. champ superfight at UFC Fight Night 143, Dillashaw was found to have taken EPO in relation to the bout, and was subsequently suspended two years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
Now, just one month after the news of his suspension, ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reports that the former two-time UFC bantamweight champ has been dropped by Monster Energy, who struck a sponsorship deal with Dillashaw back in December of 2018.
“Monster Energy has parted ways with TJ Dillashaw, according to Monster’s Hans Molenkamp. The company signed him to a promotional deal in Dec. 2018. Dillashaw, the former UFC bantamweight champion, is currently serving a two-year suspension after he tested positive for EPO in Jan.,” Helwani posted on Tuesday.
T.J. Dillashaw has apologized for his use of performance-enhancing drugs and is using his time off to rehabilitate his body. The earliest Dillashaw can return to the Octagon is January 19, 2021.