UFC 329 results: Mario Bautista badly damages Cory Sandhagen’s leg, gets his revenge with unanimous decision win

Mario Bautista earned redemption at UFC 329 on Saturday, defeating Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision to avenge his short-notice loss to the former title challenger seven years earlier. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for Bautista, who displayed marked improvement across all facets and inflicted significant leg damage that hindered Sandhagen throughout.

Bautista opened with body kicks but ate a stiff counter punch that rattled him. He responded by hunting takedowns and unleashing barrage combinations, nearly securing a devastating leg lock late in the opening round that left Sandhagen limping to his corner. In the second, Bautista exploited the damaged leg with kicks and positional control while Sandhagen managed to open a small cut on Bautista's forehead with counter strikes.

The third round proved decisive when a thunderous left hook sent Sandhagen to the canvas. Bautista pursued the finish with ground-and-pound before securing multiple takedowns and controlling the action. Though Sandhagen briefly took him down near the end, the cumulative damage gave Bautista the round and the fight.

Post-fight, Bautista called for a title shot, noting he manifested this moment and credited his improved preparation. With the victory, he moves to a two-fight win streak and positions himself in contention while bantamweight champion Petr Yan recovers for a return later in 2024. Sandhagen, the former interim title challenger, must rebuild after the loss dropped him to 18-6.