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UFC Vegas 32 featured the highly anticipated return of former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, who took on top contender Cory Sandhagen in the main event at the APEX facility in Las Vegas.
While Dillashaw was the star attraction, several upcoming fighters and veterans made their presence felt. Brendan Allen secured a superb win over the previously undefeated Punahele Soriano, while Mickey Gall racked up another submission in the UFC.
On the main card, which primarily had bantamweight and featherweight action, three of the five fights went to a decision. But all of them were entertaining, back-and-forth affairs that left viewers on the edge of their seats.
Here are the best and worst moments from UFC Vegas 32: T.J. Dillashaw vs Cory Sandhagen.
#5 Best: The Adrian Yanez hype train rolls on at UFC Vegas 32
One of the highest-rated prospects in the UFC's stacked bantamweight division continued on his merry way at UFC Vegas 32. Adrian Yanez overcame a tough first round to put Randy Costa away in the second.
Immediately after the fight was announced, fans penciled in the date on their calendars in anticipation. With both fighters having a reputation for being sucked into wars, this bout kicked off the main card and largely lived up to its promise.
Costa came out of the blocks rapidly, using a snappy, powerful jab to keep Yanez at bay. 'The Zohan' mixed up his attacks with smart kicks to the head, keeping Yanez guessing and pushing him firmly on the backfoot. Down one round on the scorecard, the Texan appeared visibly frustrated during the break. But he came back a changed man in the second essay.
Yanez pressed forward, refusing to be kept at range by the jab. He softened Costa up with a pair of vicious body shots before firing in an uppercut that penetrated his opponent's guard with frightening ease. Then, when Costa was rocked and tired, Yanez showed great instinct by diving in for the kill and securing the TKO win.
Only Francis Ngannou has a longer knockout streak than Adrian Yanez in the UFC right now. More Jorge Masvidal comparisons, anyone?
#4 Worst: Maycee Barber gets away with disappointing gameplan at UFC Vegas 32
When Bruce Buffer read out the judges' scorecards after three rounds of UFC flyweight action between Miranda Maverick and Maycee Barber, announcing a split-decision win for 'The Future', the former congratulated her opponent with grace. But she had a right to be aggrieved.
Most fans and analysts believe that Maverick got the short end of the stick from the judges. She clearly won the first round as Barber landed only six significant strikes over the five minutes. In the second, Maverick outlanded Barber 22-12, and after taking her down, she was close to getting her hooks in shortly before the bell sounded.
The third round was clearly Barber's, with a spinning elbow highlighting an improved striking effort and smart clinch work. But it was clear that Maverick should've had her hand raised at the end of the fight.
For Barber, who came under severe criticism for her gameplan during her UFC losses to Roxanne Modafferi and Alexa Grasso, things didn't point in the right direction - irrespective of the result. She spoke about an attempt to show that she's an "elusive fighter", but all that meant was that she mounted next to no offense for two whole rounds.
Barber may have edged the decision, but she arguably didn't deserve to break her losing skid. Questionable judging like this can ruin the career of a fighter, especially in a prospect vs prospect matchup like this one.
#3 Best: Darrick Minner falls into the patented Darren Elkins trap
In a good piece of UFC matchmaking, featherweights Darrick Minner and Darren Elkins locked horns in what was expected to be a grappling-heavy encounter. And it was just that.
In a first round filled with fascinating scrambles, Minner tallied three submission attempts and had Elkins on the ropes. But 'The Damage' loves being on the ropes. Elkins has only been submitted once in his MMA career - by Charles Oliveira back in August 2010. He weathered the storm in the first round and came back strong in the second.
Elkins was taken down early on, but he eventually established a dominant crucifix position with a smart reversal. He rained punches down on Minner, who went minutes without answering, before referee Mark Smith finally called a stop to the contest. The 31-year-old had no strength to get himself out of the heap of trouble he was in, and arguably should've been put out of his misery earlier.
Elkins now has two wins on the trot and the second-most wins in the UFC featherweight division (15), behind only former champion Max Holloway (22). The 37-year-old could go on another impressive UFC run in the coming months.
#2 Worst: Paiva and Phillips put on an incredible show, but judging takes centerstage again at UFC Vegas 32
Kyler Phillips and Raulian Paiva put on an incredible display of heart and skill during the 15 minutes they shared the octagon, walking away with the Fight of the Night award at UFC Vegas 32. But the consensus is that the fight should've ended with the honors even - or maybe even in favor of Phillips - after the beating 'The Matrix' doled out in the first round.
Phillips started off as the aggressor, dropping Paiva early before almost finishing him in the dying seconds of the initial stanza. The Brazilian was saved by the bell as referee Keith Peterson watched on intently and sat in his corner - without even a stool - visibly dazed.
It could've easily been a 10-8 despite Paiva securing one takedown and some top control in the scrambles that followed, but only one judge thought so. Given how easily 10-8s have been dished out in the recent past, Phillips could feel hard done by.
The second round saw Paiva have some more success with his striking, but Phillips tallied 72 seconds more control time and landed two takedowns on the official stats. While it could've gone in the 25-year-old's favor, the judging sorely lacked consistency.
Phillips appeared to be a touch gassed in the third, which was probably Paiva's by a decent margin. The overall numbers, while not an irrefutable indication of what transpired, paint a clear picture. The American (95 significant strikes, 56% accuracy, 4/9 takedowns and 3:02 mins of control time) had a healthy edge over Paiva (51, 43%, 2/6 and 3:32).
The fight, which was the best on show at UFC Vegas 32, left fans questioning the judging criteria for what feels like the umpteenth time in the recent past. The backdrop of the Maverick-Barber fight only added fuel to the fire.
#1 Best: T.J. Dillashaw takes massive step towards regaining the UFC bantamweight throne
T.J. Dillashaw is back! Taking to the octagon for the first time since January 2019, the former UFC bantamweight champion took a massive step towards regaining his throne by putting in a masterful performance against top contender Cory Sandhagen.
Dillashaw showed few signs of ring rust in the five-round fight, which saw him tackle a lot of adversity. He appeared to damage his knee in the first round and suffered a nasty cut over the eye soon after. But shielding his profusely bleeding eye and using smart head movement to ensure Sandhagen didn't catch him cleanly too often, the 35-year-old put his clinch work and wrestling to good use.
Was the decision a touch contentious? Despite Dillashaw controlling Sandhagen on the fence for a significant period of time, 'The Sandman' was never in any real danger and barely absorbed any damage over the course of the fight. Sandhagen landed cleaner shots, quickly getting back up whenever he was taken down and always attempting to keep the fight moving.
The outcome can certainly be debated. But after the baffling judging we saw earlier on the UFC Vegas 32 main card, Dillashaw vs Sandhagen was acceptable if not entirely agreeable.
