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Mario Bautista Avenges 2019 Defeat With Unanimous Win Over Cory Sandhagen

A late-round leg attack followed by sustained wrestling earned Bautista a 29-28 unanimous decision that raises his standing in the bantamweight title picture.

Overview

  • Mario Bautista defeated Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision (29-28 on all three cards) at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on Saturday, completing the long‑awaited rematch reversal.
  • Bautista damaged Sandhagen’s leg with a late Round 1 kneebar/Suloev-style sequence, and Sandhagen limped back to his corner and showed reduced movement for the rest of the fight.
  • In Round 3 Bautista landed a left hook that knocked Sandhagen down, then secured multiple takedowns and top control to swing the final round in his favor.
  • The win moves Bautista to 18-3 and drops Sandhagen to 18-7 while stalling Sandhagen’s comeback after his title challenge loss to Merab Dvalishvili and reshuffles contenders ahead of champion Petr Yan’s expected return.
  • Bautista said the victory positions him for a title run and plans to push forward from here while Sandhagen will need to rehab the injured leg and rebuild momentum before returning to contention.