T.J.
Dillashaw’s long-awaited Octagon will have to wait, as a cut
suffered in training has forced him to withdraw from a
UFC on ESPN 24 headlining bout against Cory
Sandhagen.
Dillashaw confirmed his exit on social media following an intial
report on Twitter
from C. Contreras Legaspi. Dillashaw vs. Sandhagen is expected to
be booked at a later date.
“I’m sad to say that I have to be pulled from my fight on May 8 due
to a cut received from a headbutt while drilling,” Dillashaw wrote.
“Rescheduling the fight as soon as possible.”
According to a report from ESPN,
the promotion is targeting a strawweight clash between Michelle
Waterson and Marina
Rodriguez for the new UFC on ESPN 24 headliner. That booking
has not been finalized, however.
Dillashaw has been sidelined since January 2019 after serving a
two-year USADA suspension for a positive EPO test. The former
bantamweight champion last appeared at UFC Fight Night 143, where
his bid to capture flyweight gold was derailed in a 32-second TKO
loss to Henry
Cejudo.
Sandhagen has emerged as one of the division’s top contenders with
victories in seven of his first eight Octagon appearances. The
Elevation Fight Team representative has authored spectacular
knockouts in his last two outings against Marlon
Moraes at UFC Fight Night 179 and against Frankie
Edgar at UFC Fight Night 184.
UFC on ESPN 24 takes place on May 8 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas
and will see Donald
Cerrone square off against Diego
Sanchez at 170 pounds, while Geoff Neal
meets Neil Magny in
another welterweight duel.