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Mixed martial arts fans will finally see T.J. Dillashaw return to the UFC octagon after over two years of suspension. The former two-time bantamweight champion will make his comeback against no.2-ranked Cory Sandhagen, who is on a two-fight winning streak. 'The Sandman' has gone through Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar in his last two outings.
T.J. Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen were initially scheduled to face each other on May 8, but 'Lieutenant Dan' had to withdraw from the contest due to a deep cut sustained in training.
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The UFC booked Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez for the May 8 headliner and booked the Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw possible bantamweight title contender fight for this Saturday, July 24, 2021.
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A women's bantamweight bout between Aspen Ladd and Macy Chiasson was scheduled to serve as the co-main event for the night. However, Chiasson pulled out on Thursday because of a possible injury. Aspen Ladd sent out a tweet proposing a fight with Miesha Tate, but given 'Cupcake' made her much-awaited UFC return only last week, it is certainly off the table.
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. T. J. Dillashaw
T.J. Dillashaw voluntarily relinquished the UFC bantamweight title after learning about his positive PED test. He announced the same in an Instagram post on March 20, 2019.
After a devastating loss to Henry Cejudo in a 32-second knockout, Dillashaw tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO). This performance-enhancing substance stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells.
Days after the news broke, Dillashaw took to social media to clear the air on the matter and revealed that he took an anemia medication called ProCrit, which had EPO as its main substance. He opened up more on the matter later on in a series titled, 'UFC Chronicles - Coming Clean,' streaming on UFC Fight Pass.
After two years of suspension for the positive test, T.J. Dillashaw is returning with his eyes set on regaining the belt for a third time, even though he is aware that it would take a while for him to get a title shot. With UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling out with a neck injury, Dillashaw is considering his fight against Cory Sandhagen to be an unofficial title fight.
