TJ Dillashaw’s place among the best at 135-pounds was severely damaged after he tested positive for banned substances in 2019. Following the failed test, Dillashaw was handed a two-year ban in January 2019. During that time, the bantamweight division has seen the emergence of new champions and promising talents as well. 

After over two years away from the sport, Dillashaw returned to a particularly tough assignment in Cory Sandhagen. ‘Sandman’ was on a tear and had just viciously knocked out the likes of Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar.

However, in the fight tonight, it was Dillashaw who came out on top. He edged out a close split-decision win over Sandhagen to announce his return in style. Following the fight, ‘The Eagle’ suggested an insane matchup for a UFC event in Russia. He tweeted, “Yan vs TJ 2022 in Russia”

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What is next for TJ Dillashaw?

Two years out of action is a long time in any sport. That is applicable even more so in MMA where time away from competition affects things such as timing, speed among other things. Although TJ Dillashaw slugged out a win tonight against ‘Sandman’, he was not the TJ Dillashaw we’re used to seeing. He was far from it. 

His movement was sluggish, and he got caught a few times. However, he still dug deep, overcame a lot in the fight, and secured a decision win at the end. With 25 minutes under his belt, there is little to no doubt that the former champion will come into his next fight looking a lot better. 

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Given that he has had two years off, Dillashaw will be itching to compete often. However, he sustained a serious cut in this fight and also had an injury to his knee. Fans do not know the extent of his knee injury at this point in time, but they will be hoping that it is not serious.

In the post-fight interview, he mentioned that if Sterling and Yan can get their fight done soon; he wants to fight the winner. But if that fight takes time, he is open to fighting anyone else in the top 5.