5 important things we learned from UFC Vegas 32: T.J. Dillashaw vs Cory Sandhagen

#4. Adrian Yanez is a force to be reckoned with

Adrian Yanez defeats Randy Costa at UFC Vegas 32

Adrian Yanez is called 'Mr. Knockout' for a reason, and UFC Vegas 32 served as another reminder of that. Yanez put the bantamweight division on notice with a strong comeback effort to earn his third consecutive UFC win.

Not only did Yanez prove that he's capable of dishing out explosive punches, but he also exhibited his ability to take them. Randy Costa peppered Yanez with punches for a large portion of the opening round. 'Zohan' kept connecting with stiff jabs, head kicks, and huge right hands to his opponent's head.

Known for his counterpunching, Yanez decided to change things up after an unsuccessful first round. Once Costa slowed down, the Texas resident turned the pressure up. Marching forward, Yanez started to land some hard shots and sent his opponent back pedaling.

THROUGH ADVERSITY!💢 @YanezMMA weathered the storm in the first to turn the tables in the second! #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/fWL2hI8EPw

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 24, 2021

Yanez found his rhythm mid-way into the second round as his combinations were starting to find an address. With more than three minutes remaining in the round, Yanez cracked Costa with a thunderous uppercut and followed up with ground strikes to seal the TKO win at UFC Vegas 32.

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#3. UFC Vegas 32 taught us that inactivity might not be a huge obstacle for returning fighters

T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Vegas 32 (left), Miesha Tate at UFC Vegas 31 (right) [Photo credit: @ufc on Twitter]

Conor McGregor has made a big deal about inactivity being a major hurdle for a returning fighter. He cited his lack of exposure to action as the main reason why he lost to Dustin Poirier in their UFC 257 rematch earlier this year

But in back-to-back weeks, Miesha Tate and T.J. Dillashaw have put forth solid pieces of evidence that ring rust is not as big of an obstacle to overcome as many say.

After spending five years in retirement, Tate returned to action at UFC Vegas 31 and looked as sharp as ever against Marion Reneau. And of course, Dillashaw upped the ante by returning from a 30-month layoff against an elite opponent in Cory Sandhagen.

COMPLETED THE COMEBACK.⚡️ @TJDillashaw gets a MASSIVE split decision nod after a gutsy performance over 25! #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/0m4In4uUH4

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 25, 2021

Granted, spending a long time away from the octagon definitely doesn't help fighters stay at the top of their games, but Dillashaw and Tate proved that it's possible to avoid losing a step in the octagon.

Perhaps UFC Vegas 32 is proof that ring rust has nothing to do with how long a fighter has been gone, and everything to do with what they did while they were away.