Bautista avenges debut loss seven years later, dismantles Sandhagen's leg at UFC 329

Mario Bautista avenged the first loss of his professional career on Saturday night, defeating Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision at UFC 329 — seven years after losing his debut to the same opponent on just seven days’ notice in 2019.

All three judges scored the bantamweight contest 29-28 in Bautista’s favour, a verdict shaped by a third-round knockdown, relentless grappling, and a leg-damage campaign that left Sandhagen visibly limping between rounds.

Bautista opened with body kicks but was quickly rattled by a stiff counter punch from Sandhagen. The early exchanges were close, with both fighters trading along the cage, but Bautista began to impose himself through volume and physicality. Late in the first round he secured a takedown and nearly locked in a Suloev stretch before transitioning to a kneebar attempt that put Sandhagen’s leg in serious jeopardy. Sandhagen escaped, but the damage was done — he limped back to his corner at the bell.

The second round saw Bautista exploit that injury deliberately, repeatedly targeting the compromised leg with kicks while moving laterally to force Sandhagen to pivot and bear weight on it. Sandhagen showed resilience, landing enough clean strikes to stay competitive and opening a cut on Bautista’s head, but the momentum was shifting.

The third round effectively sealed the fight. Bautista landed a heavy left hook that sent Sandhagen to the canvas, then swarmed looking for a finish. Sandhagen grabbed a leg to buy time and recovered to his feet, pressing forward as the round slipped away from him. Bautista answered with multiple takedowns and back-control attempts to close out the contest.

“I lost my debut against him,” Bautista said after the decision. “I knew I could beat him, I just had to be prepared. It was just crazy how it turned out. Manifestation. I was trying to rip everything off. At the end of the round, I saw him walking to his corner limping. I’ll always finish strong.”

Bautista made no secret of his ambitions beyond the result. “I think it says a lot about myself. I think I deserve that next shot at the title,” he said.

The win strengthens Bautista’s case as a legitimate bantamweight title contender, with the performance demonstrating growth across striking, wrestling, and submission grappling since his 2019 debut.