It has emerged that Cory Sandhagen competed through a leg injury at UFC 329. Mario Bautista, upon learning of the injury, expressed admiration for Sandhagen's toughness, calling it "pretty incredible."
Details emerging in the days after UFC 329 reveal that Cory Sandhagen competed through a leg injury during the July 11 card, a fact that has since drawn praise from his opponent Mario Bautista.
Sandhagen, 34, is ranked third in the UFC bantamweight division and carries an 18-7 record competing out of Elevation Fight Team. The Colorado native stands five-foot-eleven with a 70-inch reach and is one of the more prolific strikers in the 135-pound class, averaging 4.92 significant strikes landed per minute at a 45 percent accuracy rate. He also adds a modest but consistent grappling threat, averaging 1.14 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Bautista, 33, sits at number ten in the same division with an 18-3 record and trains out of MMA Lab. At five-foot-nine with a 69-inch reach, he brings even heavier offensive output, landing 5.52 significant strikes per minute at a 50 percent clip. Bautista is also a credible grappling threat, averaging 2.49 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded problem for any bantamweight.
Upon learning of the injury, Bautista expressed admiration for Sandhagen's willingness to push through it, describing the effort as "pretty incredible."
Why it matters
- Sandhagen's ranking at number three means any performance setback carries direct implications for his path toward a title shot
- Competing injured may factor into how the UFC and Sandhagen's team approach his next scheduled appearance
- The mutual respect between two switch-stance bantamweights ranked inside the top ten adds intrigue to any potential future matchup between them
Saturday, July 11, 2026
