By In the fight game, respect is earned the hard way—through wars in the Octagon, through championship belts, and through performances that make fans jump off their couches. This week, on the Jaxxon Podcast, newly crowned UFC champion Khamzat Chimaev reminded everyone that legends don’t fade from memory easily when he paid glowing respect to former bantamweight king TJ Dillashaw.
Chimaev, never one to mince words, spoke with admiration that caught fans’ attention. “Everything was perfect in his game. All the fighters wanted to be like TJ Dillashaw. He’s a legend,” Chimaev said. Coming from “Borz,” now a world champion himself, a man who embodies relentless pressure and unbreakable confidence, that’s not just praise—that’s a stamp of approval.
And let’s be clear: Dillashaw’s legacy is undeniable. At his peak, he was as close to a complete fighter as the bantamweight division had ever seen. His footwork was poetry in motion—darting in and out, changing angles before opponents could even reset. His striking wasn’t just sharp; it was layered, creative, and designed to dismantle. Remember his dismantling of Renan Barão, the seemingly unbeatable champion at the time? That was a seismic shift in the division. Dillashaw didn’t just beat Barão—he rewrote the script on how champions fall.
What Chimaev highlighted wasn’t just Dillashaw’s skill set, but his influence. Fighters across weight classes studied his movement, his switching stances, his ability to blend striking with takedowns. Young prospects in gyms worldwide would mimic Dillashaw’s rhythm, trying to unlock the same magic. He wasn’t just fighting opponents—he was shaping the future of mixed martial arts.
For Chimaev, the new champion storming through divisions and carving out his own legacy, recognizing Dillashaw as a legend shows the lineage of respect in this sport. Great fighters know when they’re looking at greatness, even if their styles are worlds apart.
Sure, Dillashaw’s career had its share of controversy, including setbacks and suspensions. But as Chimaev’s words prove, true legacies are measured by impact. Dillashaw left fingerprints on the game that no one can erase.
When a current champion like Chimaev calls you a legend, it means your style, your fights, and your name will echo long after you’ve hung up the gloves. TJ Dillashaw was once the fighter everyone wanted to be—and as Chimaev reminded us—he remains a benchmark for greatness in MMA.
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