Making his highly anticipated return, T.J. Dillashaw edged Cory Sandhagen on the scorecards over the weekend but will have to undergo surgery after the win.
The former champion Dillashaw returned from a 2-year suspension for banned substances. At UFC Vegas 32, amidst the first round, while fighting in the 50/50 ground position, Sandhagen locked up Dillashaw’s knee and tweaked it. Despite the fight being pushed back due to an injury, in the end, the main event delivered an all-time classic war.
There was clearly damage to the leg inflicted because when the former champ was in his corner, he mentioned that his leg was hurt in the grappling exchange that preceded the end of the first round. Now the former champ will have to go back under the knife. This comes after Dillashaw endured double shoulder surgeries during his time off from the sport. After posting on Instagram, T.J. Dillashaw reaffirms that he’s back and that it’s ‘belt season’.
*@TJDillashaw has (re)entered the chat* #UFCVegas32 pic.twitter.com/hyZmoP3GrH
— UFC (@ufc) July 25, 2021
Following UFC Vegas 32 Win, Dillashaw Is Going Back Under The Knife
After the former 2X champ secured the #2 spot in the bantamweight rankings, it seems now is an optimal time to undergo surgery. With the belt tied up between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan, surely after the two have solved their unfinished business they will be calling for a fight with Dillashaw.
After digesting UFC Vegas 32, Dillashaw comments on Instagram about his 5-round war with Sandhagen. In addition, he provided fans with an update on what exactly happened during the fight.
“No place like home, this right here brings me all the joy I need. #daddyshome .Went in for an MRI today, found out that I suffered a displaced Bucket Handle tear of the Lateral Meniscus and a Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) rupture at the end of the first round landing ground and pound while being lazy in a compromised position. The good news is that these tears are repairable and will have a very speedy recovery. Going in for surgery in the next couple days. Loved being in the cage even though I had to push through some adversities to grit out the win. Thank you for the support, it’s belt season now.” T.J. Dillashaw posted.
It will be interesting to see how the injuries impact Dillashaw’s style since he is so reliant on movement and agility. In his return fight against Sandhagen, Dillashaw answered plenty of questions. As long as he can stay healthy, he will no doubt be a huge challenge for whatever bantamweight ends up holding on to the belt as we head into the second half of 2021.
Check out how the pros reacted to T.J. Dillashaw’s performance!
