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The UFC just concluded its last event for July 2021, UFC Vegas 32, at the UFC Apex arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The event was built around the return of former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw. Dillashaw made his comeback worthwhile as he put on a spectacular performance in a toe-to-toe brawl against one of the most promising prospects in the 135-pound division, Cory Sandhagen.
'Lieutenant Dan' was in control of the center of the octagon for the majority of the fight. But Cory Sandhagen's exceptional footwork and expertise at maintaining the distance ensured he did not risk getting finished at any point during the fight.
Sandhagen used the diversity of his arsenal to hurt T.J. Dillashaw and was successful. Nonetheless, the former champion did not get bogged down and walked through Sandhagen's attacks. He answered Sandhagen's precision with swift movement and volume.
Both fighters had their moments of glory on the feet, showing tremendous heart and skill by going at it for twenty five minutes. A very small number of people had predicted the fight going the distance, given the knack for finishing opponents that both fighters have.
Cory Sandhagen was able to outdo T.J. Dillashaw by a narrow margin in the striking department. Yet Dillashaw used exceptional clinches, controlling Sandhagen from behind and pushing him towards the fence whenever he seemed to be gaining momentum.
T.J. Dillashaw's return was a success as he won a close split-decision victory. The judges' scorecards read 47-48, 48-47 and 48-47 in favour of T.J. Dillashaw.
Although the bout that many would've guessed promised a finish turned out to be a decision, there were six bouts that ended in dynamic finishes. Let's take a look at the best finishes from UFC Vegas 32:
#5. Darren Elkins makes a terrific comeback at UFC Vegas 32
'The Damage' Darren Elkins lived up to his name yet again as he made a huge comeback in his fight against Darrick Minner at UFC Vegas 32.
The first round of the fight saw Darrick Minner take the reins. He dominated on the ground and attempted dangerous submission moves thrice within the first five minutes of the fight.
After the conclusion of the first round, it seemed as if Minner would not let the fight go to a third round. While the fight did end in the second round, it was Elking who got his hand raised.
Darren Elkins took the fight to the ground and engaged in ground-and-pound with a visibly fatigued Minner. The referee stopped the fight as Darren Elkins emerged victorious via TKO at UFC Vegas 32.
#4. Nassourdine Imamov beats Ian Heinisch via round-two KO
Middleweights Nassourdine Imamov and Ian Heinisch fought each other on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 32.
Imamov came in with a patient mindset to tackle a hard-hitter in Ian Heinisch. He maintained control of the center of the octagon with Heinisch circling around the fence. Furthermore, Imamov's fluid movement on the feet helped him keep his opponent guessing. Furthermore, he fully utilized his reach and height advantages.
Though patient, Imamov was constantly on the lookout for moments to burst into an attack and catch Heinisch. He had a couple of successful moments like this in round one.
In round two, Imamov continued building his attack by mixing his strikes. He even secured a takedown, although it did not amount to anything. Midway through round one, Imamov cornered Heinisch against the fence and executed a powerful combo starting with a knee that forced Heinisch to retreat to the ground. Imamov followed up with ground-and-pound to win the fight via TKO.
#3. Julio Arce puts on a striking masterclass at UFC Vegas 32
Julio Arce and Andre Ewell squared off in a bantamweight bout on the preliminary card at UFC Vegas 32. Arce walked in riding a loss and almost two years of inactivity (he last fought in November 2019). Andre Ewell was also coming off a loss, though relatively fresher (February 2021).
The two bantamweights kept the contest standing. Arce maintained octagon control for the majority of the fight and displayed great skill to close the distance and connect strikes.
The task was not easy, as Ewell did a good job of being quick on the feet and creating distance. In the second half of round two, the southpaw in Arce connected with a thunderous left hand, making Ewell stumble backwards. Arce connected with a few more shots before the referee stepped in and waved his hand for a standing stoppage.
Arce won his comeback at UFC Vegas 32 via second-round TKO.
#2. UFC Vegas 32 fan-favorite bout: Adrian Yanez puts on incredible show to beat Randy Costa
The bantamweight bout between Adrian Yanez and Randy Costa was bumped up to the main card of UFC Vegas 32 on the precursor of being a fan-favourite. The fight did not disappoint.
Randy Costa started strong with swift and far-reaching kicks. He dominated the striking in the first round by putting together incredible kick-punch combinations. Nevertheless, Adrian Yanez did not let down his guard and did a good job of keeping his hands up and not absorbing too much damage.
The second round gradually sifted to Yanez's favor as his patience with expending energy in round one bore fruit.
Adrian Yanez began unloading with precise and swift strikes, eventually overwhelming Randy Costa. Costa found himself trapped against the fence and put his hands up in an attempt to defend against Yanez's onslaught. However, Yanez caught him clean a couple of times and dropped Costa to the ground, following up with precise ground-and-pound to win the fight.
Adrian Yanez won the first fight on the main card at UFC Vegas 32 via round-two TKO.
#1. Mickey Gall jumps back to the winning side with a quick victory over Jordan Williams
UFC welterweights Mickey Gall and Jordan Williams fought on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 32. Gall's last outing ended in a loss against 'Platinum' Mike Perry. He was able to get back to the winning side by putting on a fantastic performance.
The fight started with both fighters taking their time to measure their reach. Williams was the first to come out strong, attempting a flurry while pushing Gall against the cage.
Gall responded after a while by attempting to clinch and slipping a crashing right hand in the process. The fighters fell on the ground and Gall attempted a guillotine choke, but to no avail.
The fighters got back on their feet. While Williams continued to use swift strikes, Gall connected with some heavy shots. The fight went to the ground again. Mickey Gall attempted a guillotine and, as Williams escaped, Gall scrambled him into a rear-naked choke despite considerable resistance.
Mickey Gall won the fight via rear-naked choke submission midway through round one of their fight at UFC Vegas 32.
