5 biggest winners from UFC Vegas 32: Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw

#2 Cory Sandhagen – lost to T.J. Dillashaw

Cory Sandhagen shouldn't feel like a loser after a tremendous fight with T.J. Dillashaw

It might seem bizarre to see a fighter who came away with a loss named as one of UFC Vegas 32’s biggest winners, but the truth is that the nature of his fight against T.J. Dillashaw means that Cory Sandhagen definitely won’t have lost any of his shine.

‘The Sandman’ fought a tremendous fight in his first-ever five round bout. Not only did he prove that he belonged in the octagon with a former UFC champion, but there was also a case that he should’ve been given the nod from the judges.

Sandhagen clearly outstruck Dillashaw in the second round, bloodying his right eye and leaving it in a real mess. And he also appeared to get the better blows in throughout the fourth and fifth rounds, while largely being able to fend off Dillashaw’s takedown attempts.

The Sandman finding his rhythm ⚡️ #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/CYRLeJ8SB3

— UFC (@ufc) July 25, 2021

Was it the perfect fight? Certainly not, as Sandhagen threw too many low-percentage strikes that allowed Dillashaw to grab clinches and control him, but in terms of who did the most damage, ‘The Sandman’ was almost certainly the moral victor.

After this loss, Sandhagen may have to wait a little longer for a shot at the UFC bantamweight title, but this was more evidence that he’s a very real title contender. And the morning after, it shouldn’t feel like a loss for him, which has to mean something.

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#1 T.J. Dillashaw – defeated Cory Sandhagen

T.J. Dillashaw showed no ring rust in his fight with Cory Sandhagen

Despite the semi-controversial nature of the judges’ decision, T.J. Dillashaw should undoubtedly be seen as last night’s biggest winner. He came into his fight with Cory Sandhagen having been on the shelf for two years, and in fact the last time he’d won a UFC fight was in 2018.

But Dillashaw showed absolutely no signs of ring rust, putting on an excellent performance to earn the nod from the judges, even if plenty of people saw the fight in a different light and would’ve had Sandhagen as the winner.

Dillashaw’s striking looked excellent in fits and bursts. He landed some heavy shots on Sandhagen, who did well to absorb them, and also used his powerful grappling to take ‘The Sandman’ down more than once and gain back control on numerous occasions.

Given Sandhagen’s form coming into this fight – with KO wins over Frankie Edgar and Marlon Moraes – this was a very dangerous fight for Dillashaw to take as his comeback bout, but it was as if he’d never been away at all.

SHEESH, this main event continues to deliver 💥 #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/v4TJDW3yrh

— UFC (@ufc) July 25, 2021

Should it be enough to net him a title shot at the winner of the upcoming Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan rematch? Absolutely. And if he can improve slightly, it’d be hard to bet against him regaining his title.