Cory Sandhagen is likely next in line for a shot at the UFC Bantamweight Championship after the rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan, but first he will need to defeat T.J. Dillashaw in the main event of UFC Vegas 32 this Saturday night.
Cory Sandhagen is likely next in line for a shot at the UFC Bantamweight Championship after the rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan, but first he will need to defeat T.J. Dillashaw in the main event of UFC Vegas 32 this Saturday night.
Cory Sandhagen vs T.J. DillashawLatest Odds & Fight Info |
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Main Event odds | Sandhagen -180 at Bovada | Dillashaw +155 at Bovada |
When | Saturday, July 24 – main card from 4pm PST |
Where | UFC Apex – Las Vegas, Nevada |
Watch Live | ESPN+ (US), BT Sport (UK), ESPN (AU), UFC Fight Pass, UFC.com |
Cory Sandhagen is likely next in line for a shot at the UFC Bantamweight Championship after the rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan, but first he will need to defeat T.J. Dillashaw in the main event of UFC Vegas 32 this Saturday night. BettingPlanet.com’s MMA expert dives into the matchup and takes a look at the best picks on offer at the top UFC betting sites.
Cory Sandhagen (14-2-0) was 7-0 with a 5-0 record in the UFC going into his match against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 250 with a title shot against Petr Yan on the line. Sandhagen suffered a first-round submission loss in that match, but he has bounced back nicely since then with back-to-back knockout wins over Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar. The 29-year-old is now 7-1 in eight UFC fights with four knockouts over that stretch.
T.J. Dillashaw (16-4-0) returns to the UFC after over two years away from the promotion. Dillashaw’s last fight came back on January 19, 2019, when he cut weight to fight Henry Cejudo for the UFC Flyweight Championship in an attempt to become a two-division title holder. Cejudo knocked Dillashaw out in that fight and Dillashaw subsequently tested positive for a banned substance, which led to a two-year suspension from the UFC.
Before the flyweight loss to Henry Cejudo, T.J. Dillashaw was 8-1 over his previous nine fights at bantamweight with five knockouts. Six of those nine fights were for the UFC Bantamweight Championship as he won the title twice and defended it successfully three times, earning Performance of the Night bonuses in all five of those wins. Dillashaw’s only two losses over a 12-2 run at bantamweight were by split decision.
This is all worth pointing out so that fight fans can get a refresher on just how good Dillashaw was. Will he still be that good after such a long layoff? And even if he does return in top form, will he be able to overcome a five-inch height disadvantage and a three-inch reach disadvantage? It’s tempting to take a shot on Dillashaw here at underdog odds, but considering that we already know that Cory Sandhagen is in top form and don’t have to worry about ring rust or other question marks, the favorite is the play in this intriguing bantamweight matchup.