Mario Bautista is set to run it back with Cory Sandhagen in a bantamweight rematch at UFC 329, more than six years after their first meeting ended in a first-round armbar loss for Bautista.
Their original matchup came under chaotic circumstances for Bautista, who took the fight on a week’s notice in his UFC debut as a 6-0 prospect. "I think it was a Friday night," Bautista said. "My manager [called me], I was about to eat a big old bowl of spaghetti, I was ready to chow down and they gave me the call and let me know if I wanted to fight in New York a week later against Sandhagen. That’s how that came about."
Now a top-10 bantamweight riding a 9-1 run over his past 10 fights, Bautista views the rematch as a completely different scenario. "One, I’m like why would you tag me in this? Two, when I look at it, I was so young and inexperienced. There’s not really much to take away from it. I think it’s going to be completely different this second go round."
Bautista believes he has evolved significantly since that first bout. "It’s just been so much time in between and so much growth within myself as far as skills and mentally and being prepared for those big moments. I’m sure he’s gotten better as well but I think I’ve made more of the drastic improvements."
With the UFC bantamweight title picture involving Petr Yan, Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley, Bautista sees a win over Sandhagen as his opening. "With a win over Sandhagen, a new contender [emerges]."
