UFC Vegas 32 went down last night (Sat., July 24, 2021) inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada featuring a Bantamweight bout that saw T.J. Dillashaw defeat Cory Sandhagen in a thrilling main event to possibly earn a shot at the division strap (highlights). In the co-main event, Raulian Paiva defeated Kyler Phillips via majority decision, while Darren Elkins scored an come-from-behind TKO win over Darrick Minner.
Biggest Winner: T.J. Dillashaw
After two years away from active competition, Dillashaw returned and delivered a gutsy performance, defeating one of the hottest fighters in the Bantamweight division after five rounds of back-and-forth action. Not only did he fight through a nasty cut right above his right eye but he also toughed it out for five rounds with an injured knee. “Viper” still has a ways to go before he wins back a lot of fans — not that he cares — after popping for EPO, but the win proved that not only is ring rust a myth, but he is still one of the best fighters at 135 pounds today. Despite his loss to Henry Cejudo at Flyweight, Dillashaw hasn’t tasted defeat in the 135 pound division in over five years. With his return, the division — which was in full display last night — only gets more exciting.
Runner Up: Adrian Yanez
The 135-pound veterans stole the show last night in the main event, but a young up-and-comer also put the division on notice. Yanez not only put on a spectacular fight with his dance partner Randy Costa, but he ended the job in impressive fashion knocking out his foe in the second round. For those keeping count at home, that is now three straight knockout victories for the 27 year-old, extending his overall win streak to seven straight fights. To make it sweeter, he won another $50,000 “Performance of the Night” award, his third in a row.
Biggest Loser: Ian Heinisch
Heinisch got off to a great start in his UFC career by winning his first two fights inside the Octagon to extend his overall win streak to five. Since then, the former LFA middleweight champion hasn’t found much success, losing four of his last five bouts. His latest defeat came at the hands of Nassourdine Imavov last night in “Sin City” via second round technical knockout (TKO). With a paltry record 1-4 since 2019 and two straight losses, things are looking grim for the 32 year-old. Whether his recent slump warrants a release of his contract remains to be seen, but he is hanging by a thread with an overall 3-4 record inside the eight-sided cage.
For complete UFC Vegas 32 results and coverage click HERE.