With the much-desired O’Malley fight out of his grasp (Aiemann Zahabi landed that), Cory Sandhagen has a different opponent lined up.
Bantamweight contender Sandhagen (18-6) is set for a rematch with Mario Bautista (17-3), booked for UFC 329 on July 11, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
News of the booking was first reported by Magic MMA Bets. Bautista later confirmed the match-up on social media.
Sandhagen remains ranked fourth in the UFC’s 135lb weight class, while Bautista ranks eighth. The pair first met at a Fight Night event in January 2019, with Sandhagen pulling off a submission win in the opening round.
A handful of fights later, Bautista would go on an eight fight win streak, tearing through bantamweight division standouts including Jose Aldo, Ricky Simon, and former Bellator champ Patchy Mix. While he came up short against Umar Nurmagomedov, Bautista bounced back earlier this year with a victory over Vinicius Oliveira.
Cory Sandhagen was last in action in October at UFC 320, challenging then-champ Merab Dvalishvili for gold and losing a unanimous decision.
UFC 329 caps off this year’s International Fight Week. No main event has been announced for the card, though newly signed heavyweight Gable Steveson has already been confirmed for the event, against an opponent to be named later.