Athletes
Mario Bautista Is Ready For His Revenge Mission
Bantamweight Contender Plans To Push His Title Credentials By Beating The Man Who Welcomed Him To The UFC With A Defeat.
Mario Bautista’s UFC debut proved to be a baptism of fire as he stepped into the Octagon on just one week’s notice against Cory Sandhagen in Brooklyn back in January 2019. Seven and a half years later, Bautista is ready to make amends and push himself into championship contention in the process.
Sandhagen proved to be too much, too early, for Bautista as he succumbed to an armbar submission after just three minutes, 31 seconds of the opening round. It was the first setback of Bautista’s professional MMA career, tinging his first taste of UFC action with the bitterness of defeat.
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After several years of growth as a fighter that have seen him flourish into one of the best bantamweights in the world, Bautista finally has his chance to put things right as he prepares to face Sandhagen in a rematch on Saturday night at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
“Looking back, it was pretty crazy, just jumping right into it on a week's notice,” he said. “So that was crazy in itself, but I feel from that point to this point we've grown so much, both of us. I've gone through so much as far as experience (and) maturity, so I expect a completely different fight this time.”
Bautista is a completely different animal now. Battle-tested, with 20 career fights to his name, including 14 in the UFC. His record of 17-3 includes victories over seasoned opponents and some of the world’s most dangerous 135-pounders, including UFC Hall of Famer and former featherweight champion José Aldo.
“(I’m) experienced, as far as fighting big names,” said Bautista. “I went on an eight-fight win streak. I fought the big names, like José Aldo, Patchy Mix, the pressure of that fight, going to Abu Dhabi, you know? (It’s) just the experience… So, I never had any of that leading into my debut. I’d had six fights. Now I have more fights in the UFC than I've had out. So those are the biggest takeaways for me.”
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Bautista had built considerable momentum in one of the UFC’s toughest, most talent-stacked weight classes, as he put together an impressive eight-fight win streak that included victories over the likes of Aldo and Mix. But that run came to an end as he lost a unanimous decision to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. Bautista went back to the drawing board with his team at The MMA Lab, then returned to action in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs Oliveira in Las Vegas in February, claiming a second-round submission victory over the dangerous Brazilian finisher.
“It was huge, you know? I always bounce back good from losses, and that was a big one,” he said. “Big moment, main event, against a killer of a guy – you guys saw his last fight. So, it was a big moment, (and) now I'm back on track, and I get another opportunity to have a great performance.”
Although his setback against Nurmagomedov may have added an unwanted extra mark in his L column, he explained how taking a loss can open up the biggest opportunities for improvement.
That’s exactly what happened after his defeat to Nurmagomedov, and the results were there for all to see when he bounced back in style against Oliveira.
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“Yeah, it kind of gives you that ability and that permission, I guess, like to kind of go into your training, look at little details, things you wanted to do, but didn't really want to change up. Because you're on a win streak, you don't want to change anything up,” he explained. “So, once you have a loss or a setback, you get to make those changes. And to come out on top, and have a great performance, in the main event (and) get a bonus, and now it sets you up for something pretty good, which is in the spot I am right now.”
Now Bautista gets a second chance to face Sandhagen, with the pair set to meet on the main card of UFC 329 on July 11. Given Sandhagen’s standing in the division, it represents a fight with two upsides, rather than just one, with Bautista getting the chance to not only get revenge on the man who handed him his first career loss, but also to do so while gatecrashing the bantamweight title picture in the process.
“I always thought we'd cross paths again, and for it to be such a pivotal moment – he's only lost against champions – so a win over him, a good performance (and) a finish over him says a lot,” Bautista said. “This is a big fight for me.”
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And Bautista has his sights firmly set on making sure that his performance in the rematch sends the right message to the rest of the division. He’s not just chasing a victory; he wants to get the job done in decisive fashion.
“I see myself getting my hand raised, that's all I can say,” he stated.
“Get my hand raised, coming out clean, with a finish.”
UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 11, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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