Overview
- Mario Bautista defeated Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision (29-28 across the board) at UFC 329 on Saturday, avenging a 2019 loss from Sandhagen’s armbar.
- Late in Round 1 Bautista locked in a Suloev-stretch into a kneebar that visibly compromised Sandhagen’s leg and left him limping between rounds.
- Sandhagen posted that he believes the kneebar tore his hamstring and is scheduled for an MRI this week to determine the severity and recovery timeline.
- Bautista closed the fight by knocking Sandhagen down early in Round 3 then scoring takedowns and top control to secure the final round and the decision.
- The result lifts Bautista up the bantamweight pecking order and complicates Sandhagen’s immediate title path, with the division now awaiting MRI results and scheduling around champion Petr Yan’s return.