Cory Sandhagen claims he is more deserving of a UFC bantamweight title shot than former champion T.J. Dillashaw

UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen says former 135lbs champion T.J. Dillashaw shouldn't be afforded a title shot on his return to the octagon.

Dillashaw has served a two-year suspension after testing positive for the use of performance enhancing drugs and is now eligible to compete again. Reigning bantamweight champion Petr Yan recently stated that he wishes to defend his title against Dillashaw following the fight against Sterling.

However, Sandhagen says it will be disrespectful to the sport if Dillashaw gets to return from suspension and skip the queue of top contenders ahead of him to fight for the title. In an interaction with MMA Junkie, Cory Sandhagen claimed that his recent performances have been good enough to warrant a title shot next.

“I heard Yan doing an interview talking about how he wants to fight T.J. (Dillashaw) after. T.J. is coming off some of the most serious PEDs you can do in the sport. That seems disrespectful to the sport. I’ve been working. I’ve been working these last two years. I’m ready for the belt.”

Is Cory Sandhagen ready to fight for the title?

Cory Sandhagen's recent performances have been noteworthy indeed. His stunning knockout win against Frankie Edgar on Saturday is another reminder of the fact that he deserves to be fighting for ultimate glory in the 135 lbs division. Sandhagen finished the former lightweight champion with a devastating flying knee inside 30 seconds of the first round.

"The winner of those two gets knocked out by me in July!"After securing a highlight reel KO for the ages, Cory Sandhagen (@Cors_Life) has his eyes sit on the winner of Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling 🏆#UFCVegas18 pic.twitter.com/HLceZ9hWFf

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) February 7, 2021

A huge win against a former champion and a seasoned veteran like Edgar will surely not go unnoticed. Sandhagen knows that, and he wants to fight the winner of the upcoming title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan.

“I think I’m better than Yan. If he wins, I want Yan. Same with Sterling too. I’m a different animal. You guys have seen in the last two fights.”

Cory Sandhagen has picked up seven wins in eight outings inside the octagon. His only loss in the promotion came against Sterling back at UFC 250 where he was choked out in the first round. However, he believes that he is a different fighter now and is more than ready for a shot at redemption.

“I’m a different animal since that fight with Sterling. I’m grateful that he got to teach me a lesson. But the next time we fight, I’m going to hurt Aljamain. ”

Cory Sandhagen won't be showing mercy during his climb to the top 🥶 #UFCVegas18 pic.twitter.com/YzyVzGflFu

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 7, 2021