TJ Dillashaw has doubts that UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will be able to return after his recent neck surgery.

The top of the bantamweight division has been an interesting place for many months now ever since Sterling won the belt from Petr Yan via disqualification. We were scheduled to see the rematch later this month but as a result of Sterling pulling out due to lingering issues following neck surgery, Yan will now fight Cory Sandhagen for the interim strap.

TJ Dillashaw, a former champ himself, has questioned whether Sterling will even be able to make a comeback given the severity of what’s happened.

“I don’t even know if Aljo’s ever going to come back to be honest,” Dillashaw said. “From what he had done, it’s kind of crazy. If I was him, I would have waited to get that done. My coaches, my strength and conditioning coach as well as my wrestling coach, sells the medical equipment that did his neck, don’t believe he’s ever going to come back.

“I think he’s just holding onto this belt as long as he can. I’ve had that feeling already so when he pulled out of the fight, I wasn’t surprised. I bet he’s dealing with nerve damage. I bet he’s dealing with a lot of stuff. You go get your neck cranked on with what he’s had done, it’s definitely not good. We’ll see. I could be completely wrong but I don’t know if he’s ever going to come back.”

Quotes courtesy of MMA Fighting

Will we ever see Aljamain Sterling back inside the Octagon? If so, is there a scenario in which he takes on TJ Dillashaw in the future? Let us know your thoughts on the intriguing state of play at 135 pounds down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!