Mario Bautista says he is confident in his game plan heading into his fight with Cory Sandhagen and has no intention of leaving the outcome to the judges. Bautista stated he plans to press the action from the opening bell and take Sandhagen out of his comfort zone early.
Mario Bautista has made his intentions clear ahead of his bantamweight clash with Cory Sandhagen, declaring he will push for a finish rather than rely on the scorecards.
Bautista, 33, carries a 17-3 record into the fight and currently sits ranked tenth in the bantamweight division. The MMA Lab product fights out of a switch stance and has shown a well-rounded offensive profile, averaging 5.3 significant strikes per minute at a 48 percent accuracy rate, while also threatening on the ground with 1.91 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes. He indicated he intends to apply pressure immediately and disrupt Sandhagen's rhythm from the first round.
Standing across from him will be the third-ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen, who enters at 18-6. The 34-year-old Elevation Fight Team product out of the United States is one of the division's most technically refined strikers, landing 4.86 significant strikes per minute. He also operates out of a switch stance, stands five-foot-eleven with a 70-inch reach, and has shown the ability to mix in takedowns at a rate of 1.15 per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Bautista is ranked seventh spots below Sandhagen, making a strong performance essential to break into the division's top five.
- Both fighters are switch-stance strikers, setting up a technically complex stand-up exchange.
- Bautista's higher takedown and submission rate gives him a potential path to a finish that bypasses Sandhagen's striking output.
- A win for Sandhagen would reinforce his position as a legitimate title contender at 135 pounds.
