USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, July 27: T.J. Dillashaw makes massive leap

Former UFC champion T.J. Dillashaw returned from a two-year suspension with a big win that saw him make a big move in the bantamweight ranks.

Sidelined since January 2019 after he was suspended by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Dillashaw (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) earned a hard-fought, split-decision win over Cory Sandhagen (14-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 27 event. The win was key for Dillashaw, who had dropped to No. 13 in USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings during his time away, but now climbs all the way back to No. 3, right behind current champ Aljamain Sterling and former titleholder Peter Yan.

Sterling and Yan are slated for a rematch later this year, and Dillashaw is hoping to face the winner and have an opportunity to win back the title he vacated during his suspension.

Following UFC on ESPN 27, take a look at the updated bantamweight rankings, using the dropdown menu above. Also, check out the other divisions, several of which are sure to get shaken up following this weekend’s busy schedule of events, including UFC on ESPN 28 and Bellator 263.