Tale of the Tape
Result Summary
Mario Bautista defeated Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on July 11, 2026, with all three judges scoring the three-round bantamweight bout 29-28. Bautista's late first-round takedown led to a Suloev Stretch attempt and appeared to injure Sandhagen's leg, setting the tone for the rest of the fight. Bautista attacked the compromised leg with kicks throughout Round 2, and in Round 3 he dropped Sandhagen briefly with a left hook before closing out the frame with takedowns and ground pressure to sweep the judges' cards. The victory avenges Bautista's first-round submission loss to Sandhagen from their initial meeting in January 2019.
Fight Overview
Cory Sandhagen and Mario Bautista settle unfinished business from their 2019 meeting, where Sandhagen submitted Bautista in the first round, but both men have evolved dramatically since then into genuine contenders. Sandhagen enters off a title shot loss to Merab Dvalishvili while Bautista rides a wave of momentum that includes wins over Jose Aldo and Patchy Mix, making this rematch one of the most intriguing bantamweight bouts in recent memory.
Keys to Victory
Cory Sandhagen
- Keep the fight at range and use his unorthodox angles and spinning attacks to confuse Bautista's game plan.
- Threaten with the grappling that finished Bautista the first time to create hesitation and opening on the feet.
- Exploit his speed advantage with combination punching before Bautista can tie up or clinch.
Mario Bautista
- Pressure forward and use cage work to neutralize Sandhagen's distance management and lateral movement.
- Show improved submission defense by not overcommitting to takedowns or leaving limbs exposed.
- Land heavy combinations when Sandhagen attempts spinning techniques to punish him for the risk.
Last 5 fights
Cory Sandhagen
Mario Bautista
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AI-generated This analysis was generated with AI and may contain errors.