Report - Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw Reworked For UFC Fight Night Event On July 24th.

Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger - Zuffa LLC

The potential UFC bantamweight title-eliminator between the #2 ranked contender, Cory Sandhagen, and former two-time bantamweight champion, T.J. Dillashaw has been rescheduled to take main event status at a UFC Fight Night event on July 24th. As of writing a location or venue for the showdown has yet to be determined by the organization.

Initially slated to take headlining status at UFC Vegas 26 on May 8th. -- former champion, Dillashaw was forced to withdraw from the headlining bout and postponed his return to competition after he suffered a sizeable laceration above his right eye during drilling in a training session. As a result, Sandhagen was removed from the event entirely and the bout has now subsequently been reworked for July 24th. as per a report from MMA Junkie reporters, Mike Bohn and Farah Hannoun. 

The victor of two consecutively, Elevation Fight Team mainstay and Eliot Marshall product, Sandhagen featured at UFC Vegas 18 in February most recently, stopping former lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar with a stunning first round flying knee knockout inside just twenty-eight seconds.

Prior to his win over former 155lbs champion, Edgar, Sandhagen rebounded from his first promotional loss to current bantamweight best, Aljamain Sterling with a massive wheel kick knockout finish over one-time title challenger, Marlon Moraes in the main event of UFC Fight Island 5 last October. 

In other notable Octagon victories, Sandhagen has bested the likes of Iuri Alcantara, as well as common-opposition, Raphael Assuncao, and John Lineker. 

Forced to remove himself from the headlining bout at the beginning of May -- Dillashaw was set to feature for the first time since UFC Fight Night Brooklyn back in January of 2019, where he suffered a one-sided opening round knockout loss to then-flyweight best, Henry Cejudo as he failed in his attempt to score a second UFC title held simultaneously.

Following the defeat, Dillashaw was slapped with a two-year retroactive USADA suspension after he returned a positive in-competition test sample that tested positive for the banned substance, EPO (erythropoietin)

A former two-time bantamweight gold holder, Dillashaw's last reign ended when he relinquished the title following his positive test result. The Angels camp native had reclaimed the title at UFC 217 with a second round knockout win over former teammate, Cody Garbrandt, before lodging a successful defence at UFC 227 with a rematch knockout win over Garbrandt.