LOS ANGELES – If UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw is angry about an immediate rematch with rival Cody Garbrandt, he isn’t showing it.

Questions about a second go-round with the now ex-champ – just nine months after an emphatic knockout victory – were met with cool acceptance. And a bit of gamesmanship.

“I love getting rich for knocking Cody out,” Dillashaw said with a smile during a media luncheon in support of his rematch at UFC 227, which takes place Aug. 4 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Dillashaw (15-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) wasn’t nearly as sunny when the UFC tried to book the second fight on short notice. When the promotion asked him to save UFC 222 in March, he flatly turned down the offer to fight Garbrandt (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC). At the time, he said Garbrandt couldn’t talk his way into a rematch.

But now, with proper time in the gym, Dillashaw has made his peace with the rematch. He’s taking the optimistic view that there’s nothing Garbrandt has to bring that he can’t handle.

“I think there’s a lot of holes I didn’t show as well in his game when I finished him in the second round,” Dillashaw said. “I still believe those same openings will be there. I don’t think he’s an intelligent fighter to switch up what he does.”

Dillashaw also is betting the memory of his win will be enough to keep Garbrandt’s verbal jabs at bay. The two bickered nonstop in the buildup to their first meeting this past November at UFC 217, but the champ expects his rival to be held in check.

“It’s a lot different this time,” Dillashaw said. “He can’t be such a jerk – he just got finished. For as much crap as he talked, he deserves to get his ass kicked again.”

If all goes well, Dillashaw hopes to face the person he expects to win UFC 227’s co-headliner, flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, who also takes on a rematch with rival Henry Cejudo. Dillashaw has pined for the flyweight title and would like to knock Johnson off his throne.

“He’s got that spot,” Dillashaw said. “I’m looking to take it. We’ve both got fights ahead of us to worry about, and we’ll talk about it after our fights.”

Dillashaw will be bringing in much of the same team that helped him defeat Garbrandt initially, including Duane “Bang” Ludwig, who became a central figure in the first fight for his backstory with Dillashaw and Garbrandt’s former home, Team Alpha Male, and their dramatic time on “The Ultimate Fighter 25.”

Dillashaw said the departure of Team Alpha Male coach Justin Buchholz served as another example of the problems with his former team. He said he and Buchholz even reestablished communication but indicated they were unlikely to work together again.

“He crossed the line with some things, and it’s hard to bring him in,” Dillashaw said. “He’s a great coach. I’d love to have him in my camp. I wish he wouldn’t have crossed the line the way he did. The disrespect he had for myself as well as Duane, it’s hard to forgive him.”

As for Garbrandt, there’s been no thawing of the ice between them. But Dillashaw said his business with the ex-champ doesn’t carry a personal grudge anymore. Now it’s all about protecting what he’s earned.

Dillashaw will admit he was frustrated that Garbrandt got a second chance so quickly, especially since he wasn’t afforded the same treatment after losing his belt.

But in the end, he won’t let that get to him. And if Garbrandt has some more trash to talk, he will keep in mind his primary goal.

“Defending your belt is all you need to get motivated,” Dillashaw said. “I’m one of those guys that always has to be pulled back for being in the gym. I’ve lost it once and wasn’t happy about it, so I’m never going to let it happen again.”

For more on UFC 227, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.