(UTV | COLOMBO) – Former champion TJ Dillashaw won on his return to the Octagon on Saturday night, beating Cory Sandhagen in a bantamweight clash at UFC Vegas 32.
Dillashaw had been banned for two years for failing a drugs test in 2019.
The 35-year-old sealed a split-decision victory at the UFC Apex Arena in Las Vegas with two takedowns of second-ranked Sandhagen, who managed none.
“I wasn’t worried about the naysayers,” Dillashaw told ESPN after winning the bout.
He added: “I knew I was going to get this victory. Very tough fight. To me, this was the title fight.”
Total strikes went in Sandhagen’s favour, 171-169, with the 29-year-old also landing more significant strikes, 128-110, and cutting Dillashaw’s right eye.
All three judges called it 48-47, in a victory that could lead Dillashaw to a title shot against the winner of the expected rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan.
Dillashaw’s last fight had resulted in a first-round loss to Henry Cejudo in January 2019, shortly before he received his two-year-ban for testing positive for a prohibited substance.