A clean break can sometimes bring closure to a relationship, but it doesn't seem to be the case with Urijah Faber and his former protege T.J. Dillashaw.
Caught between the feuding of Faber and his striking guru Duane Ludwig, the UFC bantamweight champ left Sacramento's Team Alpha Male for Colorado's Elevation Fight Team in October.
According to Faber, the split hasn't done much to alleviate tensions.
"No, it's not relief," Faber told Submission Radio. "It's not the best feeling, to be honest. [Dillashaw] and I aren't the best of friends like we were before. I feel like he's turned himself into a victim in this whole situation. I feel like, in his mind, I'm 'the bad guy' because he left our team. I told him, 'If you're not on the team you can't be coming in here and training with us.' He feels that I kicked him out of the gym. He said it in an interview or something like that, which is comical.
"The whole thing with T.J., it's not something I'm happy about, but it's the truth."
Sitting at No. 4 in the division, Faber says he doesn't have any issue facing a 'shaken up' former friend.
"Of course," said Faber. "I mean, what am I going to tell Zuffa? 'This guy used to fight for my team so I'm not going to fight for the world championship?' No. That's not going to happen."
LINK: Morning Report: 'Bad guy' Urijah Faber says he's ready to challenge 'shaken up' T.J. Dillashaw - MMA Fighting