by Darren Moore
Cory “The Sandman” Sandhagen (14-2-0) takes on former two-time bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw (16-4-0) in a bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night at the UFC APEX in Enterprise, Nevada on Saturday night.
- Event: UFC Vegas 32: “Sandhagen vs. Dillashaw”
- Date: Saturday July 24, 2021
- Location: APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+ (4 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. ET)
Sandhagen vs Dillashaw Pick:
Fight Result – Cory Sandhagen to win @ -185 with Bovada
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Bantamweight – Main Event
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Cory Sandhagen | Name | TJ Dillashaw |
| 14-2-0 | Record | 17-4-0 |
| 5′ 11″ | Height | 5′ 6″ |
| 135 lbs | Weight | 135 lbs |
| 70″ | Reach | 67″ |
| Switch | Stance | Orthodox |
| 6.85 | Sig Strk LPM | 5.37 |
| 52.54 | Sig Strk Acc | 47.35 |
| 1.07 | TD AVG | 1.68 |
| 50.00 | TD ACC | 37.50 |
| 0.53 | Sub Avg | 0.96 |
Sandhagen vs Dillashaw Odds
In the Fight Result betting odds, Sandhagen is the favorite at -185 with Bovada, with Dillashaw on offer at +150.
Sandhagen might be the favorite to win the fight, but Dillashaw isn’t a significant underdog for a man who hasn’t fought for two-and-a-half years.
That being the case, there does appear to be some value in backing Sandhagen to win the fight.
Cory Sandhagen – The 29-year-old Sandhagen last fought back in February, when he needed just 28 seconds to beat Frankie Edgar.
In his UFC career to date, Sandhagen has lost just one of his eight fights and that was to the current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. His seven victories have come from four TKO/KO wins, two by decision and once via submission. He has suffered one loss by submission and another by decision.
T.J. Dillashaw – Dillashaw hasn’t been in the octagon since January 2019 when he attempted to claim the flyweight title, but was on the end of a TKO loss to Henry Cejudo after just 32 seconds.
The 35-year-old Dillashaw not only lost that fight, but he subsequently served a two-year suspension for due to testing positive for the steroid Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (EPO) after it, which resulted in his being stripped of his bantamweight title.
Of Dillashaw’s 16 wins, eight have come via knockout or TKO, five by decision and three via submission. Two of his four losses have come via KO/TKO, with the other two being by decision.
Head to Head Stats
Sandhagen has a significant height and reach advantage over Dillashaw, but the most significant factor could be the lack of activity in the octagon for Dillashaw over the past couple of years, in addition to what degree was his record down to performance enhancing drugs (PDOs).
Sandhagen can also point to a higher striking rate of 48 percent, compared to 41 percent of Dillashaw. He also lands 6.85 of strikes, compared to just 5.37 of Dillashaw.
Sandhagen also has a takedown rate of 57 percent, while Dillashaw has 38 percent.
Aspen Ladd vs Macy Chiasson Preview
There is also a women’s bantamweight bout on the card, with Aspen Ladd (9-1-0) fighting Macy Chiasson (7-1-0) as the co-main event.
Women’s Bantamweight – Main Event
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Aspen Ladd | Name | Macy Chiasson |
| 9-1-0 | Record | 8-1-0 |
| 5′ 6″ | Height | 5′ 11″ |
| 135 lbs | Weight | 136 lbs |
| 66″ | Reach | 72″ |
| Orthodox | Stance | Orthodox |
| 5.22 | Sig Strk LPM | 4.16 |
| 60.62 | Sig Strk Acc | 59.65 |
| 2.45 | TD AVG | 0.98 |
| 75.00 | TD ACC | 21.05 |
| 1.22 | Sub Avg | 0.49 |
Ladd vs Chiasson Odds
Ladd, from Pioneer, California, is the favorite in the Fight Result betting odds going into the bout at -180 with Bovada, with Chiasson available at odds of +145.
Given Ladd’s long injury layoff and subsequent inactivity, there could be some value in betting on Chiasson to pull off a minor surprise in this bout.
The 26-year-old Ladd last fought back in December 2019, when she stopped Yana Kunitskaya with a KO early in the 3rd round.
She’s been out of the octagon since after suffering from an ACL and MCL tear. It’s a lengthy absence from action and it does raise questions as to whether she will be at the same level prior to her injuries.
The 29-year-old Chiasson from New Orleans, Louisiana, was last in action in March this year when she beat Marion Reneau via unanimous decision.
Ladd vs Chiasson Pick:
Fight Result – Macy Chiasson to win @ +145 with Bovada
* UFC Vegas 31 odds correct at the time of writing. All betting odds subject to changes.
Darren lives & breathes sports betting and is always sniffing out his next value bet. His favourite sports to bet on are the NFL, horse racing and UFC but he will bet on anything if he thinks the odds are favourable.
