Cory Sandhagen Addresses UFC 329 Loss While Fearing for a Torn Hamstring in Right Knee

Cory Sandhagen reveals the aftermath of the leg injury he suffered in his three round bout against Mario Bautista at UFC 329.

Cory Sandhagen Addresses UFC 329 Loss While Fearing for a Torn Hamstring in Right Knee

Cory Sandhagen talks about injury suffered after UFC 329 defeat (via Yahoo Sports, Bloody Elbow)

Cory Sandhagen has established himself as a UFC bantamweight veteran through elite striking and creative offense. His dynamic style made him one of the division’s most dangerous contenders. However, Sandhagen is now on a two-fight skid after losing to Mario Bautista at UFC 329. The veteran has since revealed the difficult aftermath of that defeat, including concerns about a serious hamstring injury.

Bautista controlled the UFC 329 rematch with relentless pressure and timely wrestling against Sandhagen. He repeatedly secured takedowns, limiting Sandhagen’s striking throughout three rounds. ‘The Sandman’ struggled to find his rhythm as his opponent dictated the pace. However, the judges awarded Bautista a unanimous decision, handing the former title challenger his second straight defeat.

Late in the opening round, Sandhagen appeared to injure his leg during an exchange with Bautista. The injury visibly affected his movement for the remainder of the fight, limiting his mobility despite a competitive second round. He slowed noticeably in the final frame as Bautista capitalized. Following the defeat, the 34-year-old revealed the extent of the injury, fearing he may have torn his hamstring.

Frickin bummer man. Losing in fighting is the most embarrassing thing ever. Sucks. Pretty sure the knee bar tore my hamstring in the first, getting MRI this week. It kept locking out weird if I did certain things. So that kind of messed up my game plan. Congrats to Mario. He was well prepared. First was close but he won it with that knee bar. Second, I won, surprisingly cause leg was jacked. Third, I wanted to have the same round as before but got dropped. Gotta fight near perfect to win at the top.

Cory Sandhagen via Instagram

The fight at the T-Mobile Arena offered Sandhagen a chance to rebound after his first undisputed UFC title shot. At UFC 320, Merab Dvalishvili retained the bantamweight title using relentless wrestling and effective striking. Sandhagen lost by unanimous decision before Bautista extended his losing streak at UFC 329.

Sandhagen’s skid could have been longer without his UFC Iowa main event against Deiveson Figueiredo. Figueiredo suffered a serious knee injury during a grappling exchange in the second round. The former champion could not continue, giving Sandhagen a TKO victory before his current two-fight losing streak.

Before facing Figueiredo, Sandhagen lost a unanimous decision to Umar Nurmagomedov in the UFC Abu Dhabi 2024 main event. Nurmagomedov combined effective striking with timely takedowns across five rounds. The defeat ended Sandhagen’s three-fight winning streak before he returned with a win.

The former title challenger has continued pushing for a matchup against Sean O’Malley. However, O’Malley has focused on securing another title opportunity instead. After his dominant victory over Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250, O’Malley began advocating for a fight against Petr Yan.

At 34, Cory Sandhagen faces an uncertain stage of his UFC career after consecutive defeats. A suspected hamstring tear could keep him sidelined into next year, depending on the injury’s severity. The extended absence would further delay his return and cast doubt on his immediate future in the division.

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Mario Bautista lays out future plans after dominating Cory Sandhagen at UFC 329

Mario Bautista first faced Cory Sandhagen in January 2019 at UFC on ESPN+1. The bout marked Bautista’s UFC debut against an established bantamweight contender. The experienced Sandhagen controlled the striking exchanges before securing a first-round armbar submission victory.

More than seven years later, the rivals met again at UFC 329 with Bautista seeking redemption. He relied on relentless wrestling and consistent pressure to neutralize Sandhagen’s offense across three rounds. Bautista earned a unanimous decision, avenging his debut loss and extending Sandhagen’s losing streak.

Mario Bautista vs Cory Sandhagen at UFC 329
Mario Bautista vs Cory Sandhagen at UFC 329 (via MMA Fighting)

Before UFC 329, Bautista showcased his submission skills against Vinicius Oliveira at UFC Vegas 113 in February 2026. He secured a rear-naked choke victory after controlling the exchanges throughout the fight. Riding a two-fight winning streak, Bautista has now outlined his plans for the next step in his career.

I’m not too sure who’s (next). I know there’s some fights that are going to happen here pretty soon, so we’ll see how everything gets shaken up. Hopefully I can fight for the belt or the No. 1 contender, at the very least, and we’ll see by maybe the end of this year, early next year. We’ll see how things get shaken up.

Mario Bautista via UFC 329 press conference

Mario Bautista has climbed to No. 4 in the bantamweight rankings after defeating Cory Sandhagen. A No. 1 contender opportunity and rematch with Umar Nurmagomedov, who ended his eight-fight winning streak at UFC 321, could follow. However, the Dagestani contender is scheduled to face Song Yadong late this year. Only after that will Bautista learn what’s next for him.

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