Urijah Faber Comments on Emmett Training with Dillashaw
MMA veteran Urijah Faber reacted to fighter Josh Emmett training with former teammate T.J. Dillashaw, who had a contentious split from Faber's Team Alpha Male. Faber stated there was no bad blood, reflecting an evolution in the sport's norms around cross-camp training and fighter alliances.
- The rivalry began when T.J. Dillashaw, then the UFC Bantamweight Champion, left Team Alpha Male in 2015 to train with former TAM striking coach Duane "Bang" Ludwig in Colorado. - The split was acrimonious, with conflicting narratives: Dillashaw claimed team founder Urijah Faber gave him an ultimatum and kicked him out, while Faber maintained that Dillashaw quit the team. - The departure led to a bitter feud, most notably between Dillashaw and former teammate Cody Garbrandt, whom Dillashaw would later defeat twice to reclaim the bantamweight title. - During the feud, Faber and Garbrandt publicly accused Dillashaw of being a "snake in the grass" and injuring teammates in practice. - Josh Emmett is a long-tenured and loyal member of Team Alpha Male, having joined the Sacramento-based gym in 2006 and serving as a primary training partner for its top stars for years. - Emmett recently revealed that Dillashaw, who has moved back to the area, has taken on a head coaching role in his training camp. - Emmett confirmed he has a "great relationship" with Faber and that there were no issues with him bringing the team's former rival into his camp to help him improve. - Dillashaw, who is not expected to fight again due to a serious shoulder injury, has been personally running Emmett's strength and conditioning and MMA practices.
