Popped Knee, Cut on the Eye, and Two Years Later – TJ Dillashaw is Back!

TJ Dillashaw is back! After two years away from mixed martial arts, in the back of severe criticism for popping for EPO in his fight against Henry Cejudo, TJ Dillashaw made a triumphant comeback in a statement win over Cory Sandhagen in the UFC Vegas 32 headliner.

While, the pressure of a comeback fight and the factor of ring rust added with the talks of his failed drug test were the adversities that he faced going into the fight. Once he was inside the Octagon, he had other problems to deal with. 

While beyond a reason of doubt, Cory Sandhagen is one of the most skilled fighters in the division, TJ Dillashaw came face-to-face against his former training partner with the narrative that he dominated him during sparring sessions both the fighters had together.

If the pressure of fighting against his critics was not enough, TJ Dillashaw popped his knee in the very first round courtesy of a vicious heel hook in the closing moments of the first round that left Dillashaw compromised. 

TJ Dillashaw secures a split decision win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 32

However, an ever defiant Dillashaw accepted that he was being lazy and showed the determination that is reflective of a world champion going into the second round. Once again, adversities followed, as a powerful left hand cut open the previous injury that Dillashaw had on his eye, as the blood spurted out from his eyes. 

#UFCVegas32 Official Scorecard: Cory Sandhagen vs TJ Dillashaw

See every scorecard from #UFCVegas32 here ➡️: https://t.co/MfZVlGb9vk pic.twitter.com/nWbgtKmDHW

— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 25, 2021

Needless to say, the old cut that only got deeper as the fight went on, continued to trouble Dillashaw, who relies on his laser-sharp vision and his incredible head movement to create feints and inflict damage on his opponents. However, the former two-time bantamweight champion marched forward against a dangerous striker like Cory Sandhagen. 

There are arguments to be made, many believe that Cory Sandhagen won the fight, however, the stats are incredibly close. It won’t be wrong to say that it was a fight that could have gone anywhere. There’s every reason to believe Sandhagen won that fight, as there is to believe that TJ Dillashaw did enough to grab the victory. 

However, above all, it was the spirit of TJ Dillashaw, who came back after a gap of two years, that stole the heart of fight fans around the world.

Also Read: Are TJ Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen Former Training Partners?