5 reasons why Cory Sandhagen will spoil T.J. Dillashaw's UFC return

The first chapter of T.J. Dillashaw's redemption arc begins with his comeback fight against Cory Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 32. It goes something like this: a disgraced former champion returns to glory after atoning for his sins.

But none of that happens if Sandhagen has anything to say about it. 'The Sandman' is nearing the climax of his own quest to capture the UFC bantamweight title. He came close to fighting for gold once, but fell short against future champion Aljamain Sterling.

Since then, Sandhagen has washed the bitter taste of defeat out of his mouth with back-to-back highlight reel-worthy finishes – a spinning kick knockout of Marlon Moraes and a nasty flying knee KO of Frankie Edgar.

Go ALL angles on this @CorySandhagen flying knee! 😱📺 He faces TJ Dillashaw at #UFCVegas32 this Saturday! pic.twitter.com/4mDfMDjB4p

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 20, 2021

Sandhagen is on the cusp of reaching new heights in his career and he's showing no signs of slowing down. Here are five reasons why a returning Dillashaw won't stop him either at UFC Vegas 32.

---

#5. Cory Sandhagen could neutralize T.J. Dillashaw's advantage

On paper, T.J. Dillashaw is a bad matchup for Cory Sandhagen. Both men are excellent strikers, but Dillashaw's superior grappling skills should give him the edge. After his loss to Sterling, Sandhagen even went as far as admitting that his wrestling "sucks" (his words, not mine).

But Sandhagen doesn't need to outwrestle T.J. Dillashaw to win. He can stick to doing what he does best – utilizing his length to land strikes from a safe distance.

Sandhagen, who stands at 5-foot-11, is incredibly tall for bantamweight. On top of that, his 70-inch reach allows him to keep most of his opponents at bay. Dillashaw, in comparison, is 5-foot-six with a 67-inch reach.

Former UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen, who claims to have seen the two train together, believes Sandhagen's understanding of how to use the range could make up for his lack of wrestling. 'The American Gangster' said:

"[Sandhagen] doesn't have to wrestle a lot because he understands range and he understands how to keep it. He understands how effective a knee up the middle and an elbow down the pipe can be at keeping a wrestler at bay."

#4. T.J. Dillashaw could suffer from ring rust

T.J. Dillashaw reacts after losing to Henry Cejudo at UFC Fight Night 143

Miesha Tate's triumphant return to UFC Vegas 31 should give T.J. Dillashaw some much-needed encouragement. 'Cupcake' looked better than ever after returning from a near five-year layoff. She even scored her first TKO win in the UFC.

Meanwhile, Dillashaw will be fighting for the first time since serving his two-year suspension after testing positive for EPO. So with Tate looking phenomenal after spending nearly five years in retirement, Dillashaw should have nothing to worry about, right? Not necessarily.

Tate came back against Marion Reneau, a journeywoman who was well past her prime. No disrespect to 'The Belizean Bruiser', but she overachieved her entire career and was arguably never a unique talent.

Sandhagen, on the other hand, is one of the fastest-rising stars in the UFC and among the most feared knockout artists in his division. In other words, Dillashaw will have a much tougher test in his return fight than what Tate had to deal with.

---

#3. Cory Sandhagen is well-acquainted with T.J. Dillashaw

T.J. Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen were teammates at Elevation Fight Team

What makes Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw so interesting is their history. It's safe to assume that the pair of former Elevation Fight Team stablemates will be very familiar with one another's tricks and tendencies.

Dillashaw has admitted that Sandhagen was a huge part of his training camp when he was the bantamweight champ. He revealed that he used to spar with Sandhagen to prepare for his fight with Dominick Cruz. According to Dillashaw, Sandhagen's timing, footwork, and stance is why he was the perfect partner to simulate a fight against 'The Dominator'.

If anything is to be learned from Dillashaw's battle with Cruz, it's that a rangy, unorthodox striker could cause him serious trouble. Cory Sandhagen fits that bill and, for that reason, Dillashaw believes he will have a tough assignment on his first day back in the octagon.

#2. Cory Sandhagen has massive momentum

Cory Sandhagen knocks out Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 184

While T.J. Dillashaw was away, Cory Sandhagen was busy knocking heads off contenders in the UFC bantamweight division. 'The Sandman' has notched seven wins in his last eight fights, including back-to-back knockouts over a couple of formidable 135-pounders.

On the flipside, Dillashaw crashed and burned in 32 seconds against then-UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo. Granted, it could be argued that Dillashaw's chin was weakened by the brutal cut to make 125 pounds.

In addition, 35-year-old Dillashaw is nearing the end of his prime. Sandhagen, on the other hand, is at the peak of his powers. Needless to say, returning from a stoppage loss after a two-year layoff against a world-beater like Sandhagen is far from the ideal scenario for Dillashaw.

---

#1. Was T.J. Dillashaw relying on EPO?

T.J. Dillashaw after getting defeated by Dominick Cruz at UFC Fight Night 81

Fair or not, there's a large shadow of doubt looming over T.J. Dillashaw's career and legacy after his scandalous affair with the banned substance EPO. And he has no one to blame but himself.

For context, EPO is one of the most notorious performance enhancing drugs as it gives the user a tremendous athletic advantage, including increased stamina and faster recovery among many other benefits. Dillashaw tested positive for the substance after his fight with Cejudo.

The former bantamweight champ claimed he only used it to cope with the cruel weight cut to make flyweight. And yes, he's only tested positive once. We can't help but wonder if Dillashaw has benefitted from EPO prior to him getting caught.

The good news for T.J. Dillashaw is that he'll get the opportunity to prove, once and for all, that PEDs have nothing to do with his past success by winning at UFC Vegas 32. The bad news is that it won't be easy against Cory Sandhagen.