T.J. Dillashaw defends himself against accusations of intentionally injuring Chris Holdsworth, claiming the incident was an accidental sparring mishap and not malicious.
T.J. Dillashaw wants to clear the air about the Chris Holdsworth incident. For years, he’s shouldered much of the blame for ending Holdsworth’s career in 2014. They were training partners at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento when Dillashaw’s knee allegedly caused a severe concussion for Holdsworth.
The story varies depending on who’s telling it. Dillashaw insists it was a freak accident, but Holdsworth and his team often label Dillashaw a bully. On Dominick Cruz’s Love & War podcast, Dillashaw shared his perspective, first commenting on Holdsworth’s demeanor.
"Holdsworth was insanely good," Dillashaw said. "His grappling was unmatched, the best I’ve ever seen. But he lacked a competitive mindset. He always found reasons not to fight, lacking that killer instinct."
Holdsworth seemed destined for greatness after dominating The Ultimate Fighter in 2013. He went 6-0 as a pro, but the training mishap with Dillashaw halted his career. Dillashaw wants to make it clear: any story suggesting he intentionally harmed Holdsworth is false.
Recalling the incident, Dillashaw said, "We were prepping for fights. I hit him with an overhand right, and he struggled with concussions after that. He cut weight early, which might have affected him."
Dillashaw described the sparring accident: "I meant to knee his chest, but he moved, and it hit his head. It was illegal, and I felt terrible. People exaggerated the story because I left the team."
Dillashaw left Team Alpha Male in 2015, training separately with coach Duane Ludwig. The split was due to a compensation dispute, not Holdsworth’s injury. Cruz backed Dillashaw, noting that fighters accept risks at the highest level.
"I’m competitive," Dillashaw admitted. "I want to win every round. Sometimes, that intensity escalates, and when you get the better of someone, you’re the bad guy."
"We’re training for world titles, not playing chess," he added. "It’s a contact sport, and bad things can happen."