Chris Holdsworth Speaks Up
Chris Holdsworth has kept mum about the drama between Team Alpha Male, TAM, and his former teammate, T.J. Dillashaw. But, thanks to the fact that his name is getting dragged through the mud ahead of the grudge match set for the 4th of November between Cody Garbrandt and Dillashaw, at the UFC 217, he has broken his silence.
Allegations of a Cheap Shot Addressed
Last week, Dillashaw responded to allegations made by Garbrandt that he was responsible for injuring Holdsworth with a cheap shot during a training session TAM was involved in just before Holdsworth’s triumphant run on The Ultimate Fighter 18.
Garbrandt, in an interview alongside Urijah Faber, claimed that Dillashaw struck Holdsworth with an unlawful knee to the head during the practice that caused a concussion. Faber further noted that this incident was not isolated. It occurred twice, according to Faber, who went on to say that Dillashaw tried to hurt people in training sessions while he was a part of the team, quote unquote.
Dillashaw dismissed this as a false accusation.
An Indefinite Hiatus Due to Concussion
As punters who enjoy the MMA markets that sports betting sites provide will know, Holdsworth went on an indefinite hiatus from the MMA in 2014, despite being an undefeated UFC prospect, due to lingering issues related to concussion. The 30-year old jiu-jitsu master has yet to return, although he has transitioned into the role of a coach for TAM. Unlike someone like Floyd Mayweather, it looks like Holdsworth’s set on retiring and moving on in the sport, and won’t be making comeback any time soon.
Holdsworth Breaks His Silence
Holdsworth eventually broke his silence on the MMA Hour on Monday, and went so far as to call Dillashaw a liar in his explosive response.
He acknowledged that he had not commented on the situation, and added that this was because he just wasn’t the type to add fuel to the fire, jumping into feuds and drama. He said that he preferred to lay low and do his thing, but the lies that Dillashaw was spreading necessitated a response.
He spoke of Dillashaw being a wonderful fighter and a great athlete, but added that he seemed to have some sort of feud with him since Holdsworth had joined the team. He went on to say that he didn’t know whether it was jealousy, envy, or something else, but that he had taken no notice of it, ascribing it to some sort of ultra-aggression on the part of Dillashaw. He added that he was always up for the fight, but stated that there were numerous occasions where Dillashaw simply crossed the line. He spoke of being kneed during boxing sessions, being elbowed during jiu-jitsu meets, and that he had now decided to go public with these experiences.
Holdsworth specifically mentioned a point where he had shot in on Dillashaw and was on all fours, and Dillashaw kneed him on top of his head, before The Ultimate Fighter. Holdsworth spoke of being jarred by the experience, and the fact that everyone had seen it, and said he had taken 30 seconds off and then kept going until the practice was finished. He added that he had concussion when the practice ended, his first, and things snowballed from there.
