Last fight
Win
Sandhagen vs Bautista
Jul. 11, 2026
UFC Spotlight
Stats & Records
3
Wins by Knockout
7
Wins by Submission
5
First Round Finishes
Significant Strikes include all strikes at distance, plus power strikes in the clinch and on the ground.
Striking accuracy
- Sig. Strikes Landed
- 864
- Sig. Strikes Attempted
- 1717
A takedown is awarded when a fighter deliberately grapples an opponent to the ground and establishes an advantageous position for an appreciable amount of time.
Takedown Accuracy
- Takedowns Landed
- 1
- Takedowns Attempted
- 67
- Sig. Str. Defense is the percentage of significant strikes attempted against a fighter that do not land.
- Takedown defense is the percentage of takedowns attempted against a fighter that do not land.
- Knockdown Avg. is the average number of knockdowns per 15 Minutes window.
Sig. Str. by target
athlete record
Info
Status
Active
Place of Birth
Winnemucca, United States
Trains at
The MMA Lab
Fighting style
Freestyle
Age
33
Height
69.00
Weight
135.50
Octagon Debut
Jan. 19, 2019
Reach
72.00
Leg reach
39.00
- Pro since 2017
- Three wins by KO, seven by submission (Guillotine, 4 RNC, Brabo choke, reverse triangle armbar)
- Five first-round finishes, five second-round finishes
- 12-2 since short-notice UFC debut loss
UFC 329 (7/11/26) Bautista won a three round unanimous decision over Cory Sandhagen
UFC Fight Night (2/7/26) Bautista submitted Vinicius Oliveira via rear-naked choke at 4:46 of the second round
UFC 321 (10/25/25) Bautista lost a three round unanimous decision to Umar Nurmagomedov
UFC 316 (6/7/25) Bautista won a three round unanimous decision over Patchy Mix
UFC 307 (10/5/24) Bautista won a three round split decision over José Aldo
UFC Fight Night (1/13/24) Bautista won a three round unanimous decision over Ricky Simon
UFC 292 (8/19/23) Bautista won a three round unanimous decision over Da'Mon Blackshear
UFC Fight Night (3/11/23) Bautista submitted Guido Cannetti via rear naked choke at 3:18 of the first round
UFC Fight Night (11/5/22) Bautista submitted Benito Lopez via reverse triangle armbar at 4:54 of the first round
UFC on ESPN (6/25/22) Bautista submitted Brian Kelleher via rear naked choke at 2:27 of the first round
UFC Fight Night (2/19/22) Bautista won a three round unanimous decision over Jay Perrin
UFC 259 (3/6/21) Bautista was stopped by Trevin Jones via strikes at :40 of the second round
UFC 247 (2/8/20) Bautista stopped Miles Johns via strikes at 1:41 of the second round
UFC on ESPN (7/20/19) Bautista won a three round unanimous decision over Jinsoo Son
UFC Fight Night (1/19/19) Bautista was submitted by Cory Sandhagen via armbar at 3:31 of the first round
When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training in 2011. I took my first fight and fell in love with the sport and all the martial arts.
Who are your main training partners? Jose Delgado, Greg Foster, Moses Diaz and UFC bantamweight Kyler Phillips.
What ranks and titles have you held? Black belt in Jiu-Jitsu (earned in 2022)
What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It means my dreams are coming true, with hard work and dedication. It’s everything. I can now train full-time.
What do you consider to be the key fight in your career and why? I always look back at my second UFC fight against Jin Soo Son. Both of us coming off debut losses against Petr Yan and me against Cory Sandhagen. I went into that fight knowing another loss could mean getting cut from the UFC and he knew that too, which made for an amazing fight and we got a Fight of the Night bonus. I wanted it more and got my hand raised and I knew I belonged.
Who is your favorite fighter and why? My favorite fighter would have to be Demetrius Johnson. I think he just embodies what it means to be a mixed martial artist. He’s not a one-trick pony and can do it all and is one of the greatest champions.
Do you have any heroes outside of fighting? My heroes outside of fighting would have to be my father, Mario Sr., and uncle Francisco. To me they are the best examples of true hard workers and the best of family men and are always there for me when I need help navigating life.
Beyond championship of money, what motivates you? Just to be a version of yourself every day and always riding that edge. Always chasing your limits and finding out who you truly are.
Is there a cause that you want to use your platform for? Just the life of Mario. I just hope people take inspiration from it in whatever they do, andrealize that if you’re consistent in chasing a dream it’ll come true.
What was your job before you started fighting? Auto glass installer
Favorite grappling technique: Guillotine
Favorite Striking technique: Flying knee
Tell us about your life outside of fighting: My wife Ashley has been amazing this whole career and has been with me since the beginning. We have a daughter, Adelina; she is my biggest fan and is an amazing little girl with a beautiful soul. We have a dachshund too; he’s a fun lil dog always wanting to play and tear things up. It’s a nice little family. I’m always jumping between hobbies but this year my goals are to become more fluent in Spanish to maybe open some opportunities and also want to get into motorcycle riding this year.
What is one thing you want UFC fans around the world to know about you? If fighting didn’t exist I would’ve pursued being some kind of competitive driver/mechanic or become Steve Irwin himself.
