Since T.J. Dillashaw thrashed former champion Renan Barao for the second time to retain the bantamweight title at UFC on FOX 16 last month, speculation has been rife that the 29-year-old will face Dominick Cruz in his next championship defense.
In an effort to possibly ramp up publicity for the bout, Dillashaw called out Cruz earlier this morning on Twitter.
It didn't take long for 'The Dominator' to fire back with a reply.
Team Alliance fighter Dominick Cruz has been out of action for a year since the injury-prone bantamweight suffered a devastating ACL tear shortly after his win over Takeya Mizugaki. Prior to his TKO of Mizugaki, Cruz was forced to sit on the sidelines for over three years due to a torn ACL in his other knee and a groin tear. Due to his prolonged absence, Cruz was forced to vacate his bantamweight title, a title that T.J. Dillashaw now proudly wears around his waist.
The former WEC and UFC champion detailed his return to the Octagon in an interview with Inside MMA last month, and expects to be back in action by the end of the year. Although a contract has yet to be signed, it's expected that Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw will duke it out for the 135 lbs. title in the coming months.