Reigning bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and former 135-pound titleholder TJ Dillashaw are scheduled to collide in the upcoming UFC 280 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event this Sat. (Oct. 22, 2022) at Etihad Arena on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.

And it should come as no surprise, especially considering all those “Needleshaw” jokes over the last few months, that Sterling would use the UFC 280 pre-fight press conference (watch it here) to trash Dillashaw for his drug test suspension back in early 2019.

“For some reason, I haven’t seen TJ in any of the ‘Embedded’ episodes,” Sterling said (transcribed by Simon Samano). “That’s how he got caught last time. I wonder if there’s something going on again that might be a little fishy, TJ.”

Sterling recently suggested that Dillashaw was finding new and creative ways to cheat ahead of UFC 280. That didn’t seem to rattle the former champion, who took a powdery page from the Jon Jones playbook and embraced his inner bad guy.

“Look, I’ve come to terms with it,” Dillashaw fired back. “It’s time now. You’re gonna get your ass whipped by a cheater, motherfucker. How do you feel about that? If he’s so worried about it, he can come test me himself. He can test these nuts in his mouth. This DJ Jazzy Jeff-looking motherfucker is gonna be down there saying like, ‘Test, test 1-2. Is this working?’ He’s gonna be a rapper supposedly. He’s already been a failed actor. Now he’s gonna be a failed rapper.”

The winner of Sterling vs. Dillashaw is expected to defend the bantamweight title against the winner of Petr Yan vs. Sean O’Malley at some point in early 2023. “No Mercy” and “Sugar” also throw leather on the UFC 280 main card, so don’t expect the bantamweight trash talk to go away anytime soon.