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Cory Sandhagen has once again made it clear that he doesn't think former champion TJ Dillashaw should receive a shot at the title right after his return. The Sandman stated that Dillashaw used 'some of the most serious steroids' that led to his suspension and shouldn't be in title contention.
Over the past weekend, Cory Sandhagen knocked out veteran Frankie Edgar with a brutal flying knee KO. With his second successive win in the UFC, Sandhagen is now in a prime position to challenge for the UFC bantamweight championship.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Cory Sandhagen made it clear that he doesn't want the returning TJ Dillashaw to get thrown into the title picture right away. While there is a possibility of Dillashaw hijacking Sandhagen's title shot, The Sandman believes the former champion will reject a potential fight against him.
"Yeah, I do. I think that's probably what happened, you know. Like if you look at his social media it's all 'road to recovery' stuff, it's all 'the comeback', blah blah blah. The guy would've been back in January, the time would've been perfect for us to fight and he didn't, so I don't know what's that about. I don't think he wants the fight, I'm worried that TJ is gonna fight for the belt before me and still not want the fight."
Cory Sandhagen made it clear that he was more than ready to welcome Dillashaw back into the UFC in January. However, the former UFC bantamweight champion seemingly didn't want the fight and Sandhagen thinks a fight between the two still won't materialise.
Here is what Cory Sandhagen said in regards to TJ Dillashaw's return:
Cory Sandhagen could face the winner of Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling
Cory Sandhagen is definitely in contention for the next shot at the UFC bantamweight championship. The Sandman could end up facing the winner of the UFC 259 title fight between reigning champion Petr Yan and contender Aljamain Sterling, someone who has already beaten Sandhagen in the past.
For TJ Dillashaw, it remains to be seen what plans the UFC has in store for the former 135-lbs champion. A fight against top contenders such as Jose Aldo, Rob Font, or even Cody Garbrandt would be a nice way to re-introduce TJ to the UFC.
