T.J. Dillashaw earned a split decision win over Cory Sandhagen upon his return to the UFC Octagon after an absence of over 2 years. The former champion looked impressive despite suggestions he might not be the same fighter without EPOs. However, Dillashaw accumulated some significant damage in the fight as well.
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Sandhagen was obviously the sharper fighter on the feet. He busted Dillashaw open with his strike during the stand-up exchanges. But Dillashaw, a seasoned veteran adopted and used his grappling to ultimately get the decision in his favor. Dillashaw is looking to get back his title and is hopeful of getting a title shot next after Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling battle it out in October.
“No place like home, this right here brings me all the joy I need. #daddyshome Went in for a 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,” wrote Dillashaw on his Instagram post.
“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,” he added further.
Dillashaw will undergo surgery at the moment. But as he mentioned, the recovery time is very less and it shouldn’t have any impact upon his plans to return to the Octagon.
Is T.J. Dillashaw next in line for a title shot?
Dillashaw has certainly proved he is still the same fighter that he was as a champion. And to add to his cause, he never actually never lost his belt in a fight. So, it’s hard to deny him a shot at the gold after a win over one of the top contenders of the division.
However, the former two-time champion has indicated that he might fight again if the title fight takes too long to take place. He has lost 2 valuable years of his prime as a fighter. So, it’s understandable why Dillashaw wants to stay active. So, what decision he takes after healing up from the injuries, remains to be seen.
Also Read: ‘Have That Belt Spit Shined for Me’- Conor Mcgregor Sends a Warning to the UFC Lightweight Division
