TJ Dillashaw tops Corey Sandhagen

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TJ Dillashaw is back in style in the UFC on ESPN 27 after 30 months out of the cage.

Dillashaw, the former UFC bantamweight champion (16-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) defeated Cory Sandhagen (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47).

The heavyweight match was the UFC over ESPN 27 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. It aired on ESPN and broadcast on ESPN+.

Dilacho, 35, competed for the first time since his suspension due to a US Anti-Doping Agency suspension stemming from a positive EPO drug test over his previous fight – Henry Segudo’s TKO loss in the UFC on ESPN 1 in January 2019.

In the opening round, ring rust did not appear as a contributing factor while Dillashaw switched positions in vintage form. A flying knee attempt resulted in Sandhagen being dropped over Dillashaw. When he slid onto his back, Sandhagen nearly closed in an inverted triangle – but Dillashaw escaped.

Sandhagen went by air and moved to the Triangle 😳 #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/Py5j4L5Jbw

– ESPN MMA (@espnmma) Jul 25, 2021

The first round was hotly contested. But in the second round, Sandhagen started to take over. He split Dillashaw with a hyper-flying knee, a counter-shot he often dropped throughout the fight.

Despite a doctor’s examination of the pulsating cut, Dillashaw was allowed to continue. During the remainder of the second round, Sandhagen appeared to have taken a step forward – the momentum he carried in the opening minutes of round three.

Sandhagen knocked Dillashaw down with his left hand 💥 #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/ofsQUsDV1l

– ESPN MMA (@espnmma) Jul 25, 2021

Round three saw Dillashaw touch down a series of leg kicks, which affected Sandhagen. Against the fence, Dillashaw used his work until time was up.

In the tournament rounds, both fighters had their moments. Dillashaw appeared to take a second win, while Sandhagen maintained his high production pace. When the judges’ scorecards were read, Dilacho got two of the three nods.

After the fight, Dillashaw called for a shot at UFC Heavyweight Championship winner Aljamain Sterling versus Petr Yan – or a top-five opponent.

“Father got this belt easily. Easy money for this belt now.” @TJDillashaw wants his shot at reclaiming the next bantamweight title 👀 #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/uV2KfLELGZ

– ESPN MMA (@espnmma) Jul 25, 2021

Victory brings him back to the winning column and continues his streak of never losing back-to-back battles as a professional. With this win, Delachaeu has won five of his last six matches including defeats of Cody Garbrandt, John Lineker and Raphael Assuncao.

As for Sandhagen, the loss interrupts a winning streak as he has fallen to 2-2 in his last four fights. The UFC on ESPN 27 was the second time Sandhagen had lost by decision.

Updated UFC results on ESPN 27 include:

T.J. Dillashaw def. Corey Sandhagen via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) Rawlian Paiva defeated. Keeler Phillips via majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28) defeated Darren Elkins. Darrick Minner via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:48 Maycee Barber def. Miranda Maverick via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) defeated Adrian Yanez. Randy Costa via TKO (punches) – 2nd round, 2:11 defeated Brendan Allen. Bona Soriano by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) defeated Nassruddin Emmaov. Ian Heinsch via TKO (punches) – 2nd round, 3:09 Mickey Gal defeated. Jordan Williams via submission (naked rear throttle) – Round 1, 2:57 Julio Arce defeated. Andre Ewell via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:45 defeated Sijara Eubanks. Elise Reed via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:49 beat Diana Bilpita. Hannah Goldie by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Twitter reacts to TJ Dillashaw’s narrow win over Cory Sandhagen in a UFC classic match on ESPN 27 UFC on ESPN 27: Best photos from Las Vegas Show 46 photos UFC on ESPN 27: Official scorecards from Las Vegas showing 22 photos

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