UFC 329 results: Mario Bautista grits out massive revenge win over Cory Sandhagen

Mario Bautista got his long-awaited revenge on Saturday at UFC 329, as the 33-year-old bantamweight contender defeated Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision, seven years after losing to him by armbar submission in Bautista’s short-notice UFC debut.

During a dramatic three-rounder inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Bautista appeared to injure Sandhagen’s knee, and though Sandhagen fought through the pain, he was ultimately powerless to prevent Bautista from rag-dolling him in a dominant third.

“I knew I could beat him,” Bautista (18-3) said after collecting three scores of 29-28 from the judges. “I just needed to come prepared.”

Sandhagen (18-7) had moments of magic though, dancing around the outside real estate of the Octagon in the first round, hitting a front kick and check left hand that hurt Bautista.

Bautista stamped his authority with a body lock and grappling exchanges, but when Sandhagen was afforded the luxury of striking, the one-time title challenger showcased a diversity in his attack to include right hands to the body and uppercuts from close range. He switched stances, and showed all-around fluidity in the transition between his strikes. His left hook to the jaw, for example, looked like a formidable weapon.

But the fight itself changed wildly once Bautista caught Sandhagen late in the opening round in a Suloev stretch, which compromised Sandhagen’s ability to even stand properly as he limped to his stool between rounds.

Sandhagen gritted through the second round with a never-say-die warrior’s instinct, but determination alone was only just enough to survive a ruthless third round in which Bautista took him down again and again. Bautista continually moved and manipulated Sandhagen’s weaker side, cracking him with an elbow as his confidence grew.

After receiving a unanimous decision on the judges’s scorecards, Bautista conceded that his intentions were to “rip everything off” during the fight-changing Suloev stretch.

“I’ll always finish strong in these fights,” he said, elated to have secured the rematch win.