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

#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.

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#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.