3 fights to look forward to and 2 fights that will likely disappoint at UFC Vegas 32

The UFC returns to its APEX in the fight capital of the world for UFC Vegas 32: Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw. An under-the-radar fight card, UFC Vegas 32 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting Fight Night events of the year.

In the main event, a former bantamweight champion will begin his journey to reclaim the title he never lost. Standing in his way is a familiar face who's been lighting up the 135-pound division in his absence.

Sandhagen. Dillashaw. This Saturday.[ #UFCVegas32 | July 24 | LIVE on #ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Zk6mICz6yx

— UFC (@ufc) July 19, 2021

UFC Vegas 32 is also a consequential event in the women's division. Two top contenders in the women's bantamweight division will look to take a step closer to a title shot. Meanwhile, a couple of up-and-coming prospects will jockey for position at women's flyweight.

But as we all know, no fight card is ever truly flawless from top to bottom. With that in mind, let's take a look at three fights to look forward to and two that will likely disappoint at UFC Vegas 32.

Fight to look forward to at UFC Vegas 32: Adrian Yanez vs. Randy Costa

UFC Vegas 32: Adrian Yanez vs. Randy Costa [Photo credit: @randy_costa on Instagram]

This matchup is one for the MMA Twitter community. After Adrian Yanez and Randy Costa talked smack about one another's favorite junk food, the pair of friendly foes will collide on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 32.

Yanez, a Dana White's Contender Series alum, took his four-fight winning streak into the UFC and extended it to six with back-to-back wins in the octagon. In his debut fight, Yanez knocked out Victor Rodriguez with a beautiful head kick in the first round. He continued to build up his momentum by putting away Gustavo Lopez in his sophomore appearance at UFC Vegas 22.

Meanwhile, Costa suffered a rocky start to his UFC career as he lost his debut against Brandon Michael Davis at UFC 236. But he successfully bounced back with two consecutive KO wins over Boston Salmon and Journey Newson.

What started out as a friendly social media interaction will culminate in an actual fight inside the octagon. But don't let the niceties fool you, these two will stop at nothing to put the other to sleep.

Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Vegas 32: Mickey Gall vs. Jordan Williams

UFC Vegas 32: Mickey Gall vs. Jordan Williams [Photo credit: @bomayemma on Instagram]

Mickey Gall will try to get back into the win column as he appears for his eighth fight in the octagon at UFC Vegas 32. Standing in his way is three-time Dana White’s Contender Series competitor Jordan Williams.

Once considered a promising prospect in the welterweight division, Gall was unable to build upon his victories over high-profile fighters CM Punk and Sage Northcutt.

After amassing four straight victories, Gall would go back and forth between wins and losses. He found himself on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Mike Perry the last time he stepped foot inside the octagon.

The third time's the charm for Williams, who successfully earned a UFC contract with a first-round stoppage win over Gregory Rodrigues in his third Contender Series appearance. Since then, the 30-year-old dropped a unanimous decision to Nassourdine Imavov in his UFC debut.

Williams is currently looking for a fresh start after making some significant changes. The American has dropped down to welterweight and transferred to a new gym in Colorado at the beginning of the year.

How Williams and Gall landed on the main card is anybody's guess. No disrespect, but this is a matchup between two fighters who have a track record of disappointment.

Fight to look forward to at UFC Vegas 32: Aspen Ladd vs. Macy Chiasson

UFC Vegas 32: Aspen Ladd vs. Macy Chiasson [Photo credit: @macychiasson on Instagram]

Top contenders Aspen Ladd and Macy Chiasson will collide in an important battle for position in the women's 135-pound division. The co-main event showdown will feature a classic wrestler vs. striker matchup.

Ladd will be returning to active competition for the first time since sustaining a knee injury last June. The 26-year-old fought thrice in 2019 to push her record to 9-1. The surging star defeated Sijara Eubanks before losing for the first time against Germain de Randamie. She quickly scored an impressive rebound win against Yana Kunitskaya via TKO.

Chiasson is on a successful two-fight run after back-to-back wins over Shanna Young and Marion Reneau. Although Chiasson has been impressive thus far, she hasn't faced high-level competitors just yet. At UFC Vegas 32, she'll take on the toughest test of her career so far in Ladd.

The UFC women's bantamweight division is not particularly stacked. That means a victory for either Ladd or Chiasson could potentially earn them a title shot in the not-too-distant future.

Fight that will likely disappoint at UFC Vegas 32: Maycee Barber vs. Miranda Maverick

UFC Vegas 32: Maycee Barber vs. Miranda Maverick [Photo credit: @fearthemaverick_homt on IG]

Maycee Barber and Miranda Maverick will engage in an intriguing battle in the women's flyweight division at UFC Vegas 32. The matchup between the two whippersnappers is definitely one to look forward to, but we'll go into detail later on why it might disappoint.

Once regarded as a potential title challenger, Barber's nickname 'The Future' implies that she'll rule the UFC in the years to come. But for her to own the future, she'll have to focus on the present and snap her two-fight skid. After going undefeated through eight fights, Barber has suffered back-to-back losses in her most recent outings.

Maverick made her presence felt after coming over from Invicta to the UFC. In her first two fights, Maverick scored a TKO victory over Liana Jojua and a unanimous decision win against Gillian Robertson.

The 24-year-old PhD candidate will appear in her third appearance in the octagon at UFC Vegas 32. If she continues on her trajectory, she just might become the first doctor of philosophy to win a UFC title.

On paper, this main card bout is a spectacle. However, it would have been nicer if the UFC matchmakers had built them up before pitting them against each other. That nitpick aside, Barber vs. Maverick is one to look forward to.

Fight to look forward to at UFC Vegas 32: Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw

UFC Vegas 32: Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw [Photo credit: @enterthesandman135 on Instagram]

In the main event of UFC Vegas 32, former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw will return from a lengthy anti-doping suspension against his former teammate Cory Sandhagen.

Dillashaw was on his way to cementing his place among the greats after defeating his archnemesis Cody Garbrandt in back-to-back title fights. He was given the opportunity to capture a second title against then-flyweight champ Henry Cejudo, but 'The Messenger' would knock him out in 32 seconds.

The worst is yet to come for Dillashaw. He tested positive for the banned substance EPO, which would lead to his two-year suspension and the revoking of his status as bantamweight champ.

Sandhagen solidified his status as a serious title threat after winning his first five fights in the UFC. However, he suffered a setback when he was outwrestled and submitted by current champion Aljamain Sterling. Since then, 'Sandman' has shattered doubts after bouncing back with two straight knockouts of Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar.

As it stands, Sterling and Petr Yan will likely run it back for the title after their controversial first fight. Meanwhile, the winner of Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw is expected to be rewarded with a future championship opportunity.