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

#2. UFC Vegas 32 showed Cory Sandhagen needs more polish

UFC Vegas 32: Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw

Many believed UFC Vegas 32 would be Cory Sandhagen's coming out party as a legitimate title threat. 'The Sandman' came into UFC Vegas 32 as a -185 favorite, and with good reason.

But Sandhagen came up short against T.J. Dillashaw in what was the biggest fight of his career so far. The 29-year-old was not disciplined enough to stick to his strengths and fell victim to Dillashaw's relentless pace as a result.

The classic flying knee to reverse triangle transition there.Only in bantamweight folks! 😳 #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/iGgRGNSdaD

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 25, 2021

UFC legend Daniel Cormier was noticeably frustrated on commentary during the fight. 'DC' mentioned time and time again how Sandhagen was dominating until he decided, on multiple occasions, to get flashy and he paid the price for it.

That's not to say that Cory Sandhagen isn't capable of winning the UFC bantamweight title in the future. After all, there's no shame in losing to a bonafide elite like Dillashaw.

#1. T.J. Dillashaw is still the best bantamweight in the UFC

T.J. Dillashaw poses after defeating Cory Sandhagen [Photo credit: @UFCEurope on Twitter]

Love him or hate him, T.J. Dillashaw has a legitimate claim to be the best bantamweight in the UFC today. The former bantamweight champ overcame hurdles and shattered doubts regarding his place in the 135-pound division this past weekend at UFC Vegas 32.

Unfortunately, Dillashaw's career will always be viewed with a hint of skepticism due to his positive test for the banned substance erythropoietin (EPO). According to Dillashaw, he only turned to EPO to help him make the brutal cut to flyweight. On the flipside, Dillashaw's former teammates Urijah Faber and Cody Garbrandt had accused him of cheating the system long before he was caught.

"Daddy's getting that belt easy!"@TJDillashaw now has his eyes firmly on the title! 🏆#UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/wlmsoeigcI

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) July 25, 2021

Is there any conclusive way to determine which side is telling the truth? Unfortunately, no.

But what we do know is that Dillashaw was tested by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) 11 times while he was away. Dillashaw's victory over Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 32 proved that he's a championship-level talent without performance enhancers.

Is Dillashaw a cheater? Well, yes. But does he deserve the benefit of the doubt after serving his time and showing no signs of any loss in performance while clean? He does, too.