UFC on ESPN 27 post-event facts: T.J. Dillashaw makes history in octagon return

The UFC’s busy July continued Saturday with UFC on ESPN 27, which took place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The highly anticipated main event of the card saw former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) make his long-awaited return to the octagon with a split decision win over Cory Sandhagen (14-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC).

Dillashaw’s victory was one of several debatable decisions on the card that had multiple notable feats. For more on the numbers, check below for 45 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 27.

Event stats

[vertical-gallery id=649290] The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $135,000. Debuting fighters went 0-1 at the event. [autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag], [autotag]Darren Elkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 27 fight-night bonuses. The UFC sold VIP tickets to fans for UFC on ESPN 27, but the promotion did not make public the total number of tickets sold or the gate. Betting favorites went 3-7 on the card. One fight had even odds. Betting favorites fell to 11-7 with one no contest in UFC headliners this year. Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 2:04:39.

T.J. Dillashaw def. Cory Sandhagen

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (R-L) T.J. Dillashaw punches Corey Sandhagen in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Dillashaw's five-fight UFC winning streak in bantamweight competition is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Aljamain Sterling (six). Dillashaw's 13 victories in UFC bantamweight competition are the most in divisional history. Dillashaw’s 12 victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with Dominick Cruz for most in combined divisional history. Dillashaw landed 100+ significant strikes for the fifth time in his UFC career. Only Max Holloway (12) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (eight) have more such performances. Sandhagen has suffered two of his three career losses by decision.

Raulian Paiva def. Kyler Phillips

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (L-R) Raulian Paiva of Brazil punches Kyler Phillips in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Paiva (21-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has earned 14 of his 21 career victories by decision. Phillips (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.

Darren Elkins def. Darrick Minner

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (R-L) Darren Elkins punches Darrick Minner in their featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Elkins (26-9 MMA, 16-8 UFC) improved to 15-7 since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in June 2011. Elkins' 15 UFC featherweight victories are second most in divisional history behind Holloway (17). Elkins’ 49 takedowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history. Elkins has landed 2,169 total strikes in UFC featherweight competition, the second most in divisional history behind Holloway (2,460). [autotag]Darrick Minner[/autotag] (26-12 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered 11 of his 12 career losses by stoppage.

Maycee Barber def. Miranda Maverick

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (R-L) Maycee Barber punches Miranda Maverick in their flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

[autotag]Maycee Barber[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) improved to 3-2 since she moved up to the UFC women's flyweight division in March 2019. Barber earned just the second decision victory of her career and first since Sept. 8, 2017 – a span of 1,415 days (nearly four years) and nine fights. [autotag]Miranda Maverick[/autotag] (9-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has suffered all three of her career losses by decision.

Adrian Yanez def. Randy Costa

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (L-R) Adrian Yanez punches Randy Costa in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Yanez (14-3 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has earned 11 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. That includes all three of his UFC wins. Yanez's three-fight knockout streak in UFC competition is tied for second longest among active fighters behind Francis Ngannou (five). [autotag]Randy Costa[/autotag] (6-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) has suffered both of his career losses by stoppage. Costa suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

Brendan Allen def. Punahele Soriano

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (L-R) Brendan Allen punches Punahele Soriano in their middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

[autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag]'s (17-4 MMA, 5-1 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is the second longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (10). [autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag] (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) had his eight-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.

Nassourdine Imavov def. Ian Heinisch

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (L-R) Nassourdine Imavov of Russia punches Ian Heinisch in their middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

[autotag]Nassourdine Imavov[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) has earned eight of his 10 career victories by stoppage. [autotag]Ian Heinisch[/autotag] (14-5 MMA, 3-4 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to August 2019. Heinisch suffered the first knockout loss of his career.

Mickey Gall def. Jordan Williams

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (L-R) Mickey Gall attempts to secure a guillotine choke submission against Jordan Williams in their welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

[autotag]Mickey Gall[/autotag] (7-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past seven fights. Gall has earned six of his seven career victories by stoppage. He's finished all of those wins by submission. Gall's five submission victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for fourth most in divisional history behind Demian Maia (six), Gunnar Nelson (six) and Chris Lytle (six). Gall's five rear-naked choke submission wins in UFC competition are tied for third most in company history behind Maia (nine) and Kenny Florian (seven). [autotag]Jordan Williams[/autotag] (9-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) was unsuccessful in his UFC welterweight debut. Williams suffered the first submission loss of his career.

Julio Arce def. Andre Ewell

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (L-R) Julio Arce punches Andre Ewell in their bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

[autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) was successful in his UFC bantamweight debut. It was his first victory in the weight class since June 2015. [autotag]Andre Ewell[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 4-4 UFC) suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn't earned a victory since September 2020. Ewell has suffered three of his four UFC losses by stoppage.

Sijara Eubanks def. Elise Reed

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (L-R) Sijara Eubanks punches Elise Reed in their flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

[autotag]Sijara Eubanks[/autotag] (7-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was successful in her return to the UFC women's flyweight division.She's 3-0 in the division with the promotion. Eubanks earned his first UFC stoppage with her TKO victory. Her previous four wins with the promotion came by decision. [autotag]Elise Reed[/autotag] (4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) had her four-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of her career.

Diana Belbita def. Hannah Goldy

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 24: (R-L) Hannah Goldy kicks Diana Belbita of Romania in their strawweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

[autotag]Hannah Goldy[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) has suffered consecutive losses after starting her career 5-1. Goldy has suffered both of her career losses by decision. UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

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