T.J. Dillashaw to Return at UFC Vegas 32 After Ban

It’s been a long wait for T.J. Dillashaw to return to UFC after a fall from grace that most fans remember like yesterday. After becoming the UFC Bantamweight Champion in 2017 for the second time, Dillashaw defended his belt once versus Cody Garbrant; and decided to move to the Flyweight Division to pursue a belt in a lower weight class. In Dillashaw’s Flyweight debut, he fought the Flyweight Champion Henry Cejudo for the title. Cejudo made quick work of Dillashaw winning via TKO in the 1st round with 4:28 seconds left on the clock.

Dillashaw vacated his Batamweight title two months later in March of 2019 due to testing positive for a banned substance known as “EPO,” and Dillashaw would have to wait to return to UFC.

For those who don’t know what Erythropoietin (EPO) does, it increases the amount of red blood cells your body produces in order to carry more oxygen to your muscles. This results in enhanced efficiency, greater power, and overall better stamina for the person using the banned substance.

This sent a shockwave through the MMA community. Most people would not have suspected the former two-time Bantamweight Champion of gaining an edge by using performance enhancing drugs. But Dillashaw’s determination to win led him down a dark path. Placed in a precarious position, the USADA handed Dillashaw a two year ban for his actions, marking January of 2021 the next time Dillashaw could return. Fast forward two years later, here we are.

Dillashaw was actually supposed to return to the octagon on May 8th but an accidental headbutt caused a severe cut over his right eye in training camp. UFC postponed the matchup, and Dillashaw will return at UFC Vegas 32, set to take place on July 24th, 2021. Now that the fight is four days away, I doubt any injury will prevent us from seeing Dillashaw back in the octagon this time around.

Stay tuned for a more comprehensive breakdown of the upcoming matchups at UFC Vegas 32!