LAS VEGAS – A lot has changed for Mario Bautista since he first fought Cory Sandhagen.
The two bantamweight contenders first met at UFC Fight Night 143 in January 2019. It was the UFC debut for Bautista (17-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC), and at the time was undefeated at 6-0. Sandhagen (18-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC) won the fight by submission in the first round, making for a rough introduction to the UFC.
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“At that time, I was working pretty much full time as an auto glass installer, working out in Phoenix during the summers – I was in debt,” Bautista told reporters during pre-fight media day. “It was completely different. I wasn’t training as much as I do now. I’m completely different. Now I do this full time. I’ve been doing this full time for seven years. I’ve had big opportunities, big fights – it’s completely different.”
Saturday, he rematches Sandhagen on the main card of UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena (Paramount+), coming off the first main event of his UFC run, which he won by submitting Vinicius Oliveira in the second round. Bautista has competed in 13 more fights since that debut loss and learned a lot in that time.
“I think just dealing with these high-pressure moments, these big fights,” Bautista said. “I’ve gone through a few now. Because when you’re 6-0, and you’re tossed into the UFC like that, it’s a lot to take in. I kind of look back, and that’s a lot for a young fighter. Now, I’ve gone through so much. Experience, big fights – so, I see it a bit different this time.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 329: Mario Bautista reflects on differences since first Cory Sandhagen bout
