Mario Bautista doesn’t exactly live on social media but he had to take a look when he saw the UFC tagged him in a post recently ahead of his rematch against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 329.
The first fight between the bantamweights took place over six years ago when Bautista made his octagon debut on a week’s notice but ultimately suffered an armbar submission loss to Sandhagen in the opening round. With a chance to avenge the first loss of his career now just days away, Bautista admitted he was surprised to see the context of the post from the UFC.
“Looking back at that fight, it’s funny the UFC tagged me in something yesterday and it’s like let me see what this is,” Bautista told MMA Fighting. “I clicked on it and it’s me getting submitted by him.
“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.”
All jokes aside, Bautista remembers getting the call for that fight and accepting the opportunity as a 6-0 prospect who dreamed about one day competing in the UFC.
While the fight obviously didn’t go his way, Bautista still learned a lot from that experience and he’s now molded himself into a top-10 ranked bantamweight with a 9-1 record over his past 10 fights.
“I think it was a Friday night,” Bautista revealed about how his first fight against Sandhagen happened. “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.
“It’s crazy to think about. Six fights outside the UFC and now I’ve had more fights in the UFC than out. I have so much experience with big fights. I feel like it’s a lot different leading into this one.”
Bautista doesn’t take anything away from Sandhagen with his performance that night but the now 33-year-old veteran feels like a lifetime has passed for both of them ahead of this rematch.
Truth be told, Bautista can’t really use much from that first fight outside of knowing Sandhagen’s size and reach but in reality he feels like this is really a completely different matchup this time around.
“I don’t look back at it and think what can I do differently this time?” Bautista said. “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.
“I remember grappling him and him being almost like a gummy kind of feel. He had good leverage, good hips, I still remember that a little bit. It’s nice. It’s going to be my first rematch. It’s nice to have a little bit of a feel for him leading into this one.”
After calling for several potential matchups in the past but his requests falling on deaf ears, Bautista is admittedly happy that the UFC granted him this wish for the rematch against Sandhagen.
Now Bautista knows he has to make the most out of it.
“I feel like I’m in my prime,” Bautista said. “Physically, combining the skills and these big moments, I’ve done it all. Now it’s just getting a little run together and hopefully getting to that title quickly.
“After some losses, if you look back throughout my career, after I lost, I bounce back pretty good. I fix what I need to fix and I get back in there and I get another win streak going. I’m looking to keep this one up.”
A win for Bautista over a past title challenger like Sandhagen couldn’t come at a better time for his career, especially with the next couple of bantamweight title fights likely ending up as rematches.
Reigning champion Petr Yan is expected to clash in a trilogy with Merab Dvalishvili at some point later this year and former title holder Sean O’Malley is champing at the bit for the winner after facing both in the past.
Bautista believes beating Sandhagen puts him into that title race and at least he’s got the advantage of never facing any of them, which should inject a little bit of fresh enthusiasm into the division.
“With a win over Sandhagen, a new contender [emerges],” Bautista said. “There’s just a bunch of rematches on the horizon with the champ and Sean O’Malley and Merab and even Sandhagen, he [could] have a rematch with Merab and Petr. I have my chance to shake things up again and the opportunity and I’m hoping to do so this time. So we could just mix it up a little bit.”
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