I respect how TJ handled this.

He shouldn't of cheated in the first place, it cost him his title and tarnished his reputation
 
I've seen this narrative, but it's bogus.

TJ took the hit coz he had no choice, EPO doesn't fit the tainted supplement excuse, if it did he'd have used it.

He deserves no credit for admitting what he had already been caught for.
 
Actually, he did pretend ignorance. Have people really forgotten? It was only a couple weeks ago.
 
I respect how he handled this and many other situations, safe for his denial of losing to Cejudo. It is not very popular to be a fan of the kid, but I've always admired him. When I wrestled for Cal Poly, we wrestled against him when he wrestled for Cal State Fullerton. He was always respectful and humble. I'm not going to be the guy that tries to persuade people's minds that don't like him, but I've always respected him. I will say though, one of my buddies had it on pretty good authority that he was juicing in between his collegiate wrestling and MMA career, so this test didn't surprise me as much as it should have. I did think he was past that chapter, but I guess I was wrong. I don't particularly care as much as others, but I do obviously acknowledge that what he did was very much so wrong and a huge mark on his record.
 
lol it is nearly impossible to blame positive EPO test on shit like dick pills or skin cream. he is a fucking cheater, he tried to snake his way out in his original message when he said they will look into it. why didnt he come out clean then? if he could, he would totally try and blame this on something else.
lol at people respecting a cheating scumbag who ruined fighters' careers.
 
Yes, I respect how he chose to minimize his losses once he got backed up into a corner with nowhere else to go, thus avoding 4 years and being stripped. Always so professional and calculated. He must have taken math classes from his S&C coach.
 
This is just flat out wrong.

It needs to get stickied to the top of all these threads - as Dim pointed out multiple times, TJ was potentially facing a four year suspension based on multiple failed tests and meeting the criteria.

USADA has a provision that allows you to accept quickly and quietly and face the lower suspension of two years, in TJ's case.

He didn't do this to own up to it, he wisely took the deal immediately to avoid a career ending 4 year suspension.

It is truly hilarious seeing uninformed people thinking a weasel cheater suddenly became a 'good sport' and wanted to do the right thing.
 
Agreed.

Arod is a cheating pos who wound up with jLo. Sometimes it pays to lie I guess.

A-Rod cheated at an elite level in a sport filled with elite level cheaters. It’s hard for me to be overly outraged at him given how many of his contemporaries were nabbed as well; Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Braun, Manny, Giambi, Clemens, Bagwell, Palmeiro.

Same thing with TJ. While an EPO finding is unique insofar as it eliminates virtually all plausible deniability, Dilly is just another in a long line of highly successful users; Jones, Anderson, Reem, JDS, Vitor, Chael, Yoel, Barnett, Sylvia, Machida Mir, Shields, Melendez. It’s a dirty sport, y’all.
 
Cheating is obviously bad. But lots of people do it, the temptation is and rewards are great. That's not to say he should get off without punishment. But how should people handle it when they are caught. Most deny they did something. Must have been in some pill they were taking, some food they were eating, or they have no idea. They either say they should have been more careful, or it was contaminated. Anything to not admit guilt. Because if you admit your are guilty you are crucified. In the court of law people who admit guilt are show remorse are given lower sentences because that is key to them not reoffending, and it gives an incentive to people to own up to what they do.
TJ didn't pretend innocence or ignorance. He took, without complaint the heaviest sentence a first time offender could get or 2 years. He took all the blame on himself. It's a hard thing to do and I respect him for it. It's not the same as being clean, but a ton of UFC fighters have failed a test and I can still like them as fighters and as people, and I will definitely look forward to TJ's return.


He didn't deny because there was no way to deny it.
 
I don't respect him anymore or any less for doing what everyone is essentially doing behind the scene. It's a part of the game but it does suck to see him gone for 2 years.
 
Sorry, nope. He gave up the title willingly pretending it was some accident but he was doing "the right thing for the division" by letting them move on while he took his suspension for accidental misuse and tried to figure out what happened. Turns out he failed for something he had to have willingly taken, that coincidentally specifically benefits his exact style of fighting, and knew was getting suspended for 2 years and would be stripped. He gave up the title to avoid getting stripped, just like Cormier recently did.

He tried to get out ahead of the story, and now just looks like an even bigger snake.
I think you said sorry more times than he did in his statement.
 
I award TJ a 15% reduction in his status as a prick and a big time poseur given he was at least honest about it. (mind you, that doesn't change his status except to a small degree).
 
What's funny is I recall people on here saying that he looked like he was using years ago. Hard to believe this is an isolated incident. No way.
 
Cheating is obviously bad. But lots of people do it, the temptation is and rewards are great. That's not to say he should get off without punishment. But how should people handle it when they are caught. Most deny they did something. Must have been in some pill they were taking, some food they were eating, or they have no idea. They either say they should have been more careful, or it was contaminated. Anything to not admit guilt. Because if you admit your are guilty you are crucified. In the court of law people who admit guilt are show remorse are given lower sentences because that is key to them not reoffending, and it gives an incentive to people to own up to what they do.
TJ didn't pretend innocence or ignorance. He took, without complaint the heaviest sentence a first time offender could get or 2 years. He took all the blame on himself. It's a hard thing to do and I respect him for it. It's not the same as being clean, but a ton of UFC fighters have failed a test and I can still like them as fighters and as people, and I will definitely look forward to TJ's return.

Do you respect how batlantly he denied it when Cody accused him in front of everyone?

STOP respecting someone for opening up only after getting caught. If he didn't go on with USADA he was risking getting additional 2 years for denying, so it would be 4 years total.

He was making fun, talking shit and arguably destroying careers before that.

Would you respect a killer for owning up to it when the police gets his fingerprints on the gun? Making an apology is the easiest way out. "I made a mistake, I am human".

This thread triggers me
 
Uhh.....
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

I think he said he was going to go figure out what happened with his team....

"I'm working with my team to understand what has occured"

Now on his statement "my team had nothing to do with it"

He didn't go yeah sorry I was taking injectable EPO, and his head coach and strength coach are pissed at him - do I believe them?



Lol this is gold.

"I'm working with my team to understand what has occured"

Fuck that guy, and fuck everyone who thinks what he is doing now is somewhat respectable. He is on damage control.
 
Me too. While some fighters talk shit, cry, lie, etc., TJ speaks truths and it seems that no one cares. Bunch of hypocrites.

Congratulations and WAR TJ!! One of the best fighters out there, one hundred percent.
 
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I dont know if " respect " is the word you want to use in this situation. Let's just say if you're going to say anything at all, he said what he was supposed to..... that's all I can really give him.
 
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