UFC 329: Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista Tale of the Tape, Predictions, & Betting Odds

All the talk may be about the return of UFC’s biggest superstar (and criminal), Conor McGregor, to the octagon for the main event against Max Holloway on July 11 at UFC 329 in Vegas. But the rest of the stacked main card might deliver better goods than that main event.

In the third fight of the main card, No. 4 bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen, who’s coming off a championship loss in his last scrap, walks into a rematch with No. 5 Mario Bautista that is seven years in the making.

Will Sandhagen emerge victorious as he did back in 2019 the first time these two met, or will Bautista even the score? Read on for our full Sandhagen vs. Bautista fight preview including tale of the tape, UFC betting odds, and our prediction for the scrap!

UFC 329: UFC 329: Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista Main Card Bout - Tale of the Tape, Picks, & Odds - July 11

All odds provided by Powerplay.

Tale of the Tape:

Category	Cory Sandhagen	Mario Bautista
Height	5’11” (1.80 m)	5’9” (1.75 m)
Weight	135 lbs (61 kg)	135 lbs (61 kg)
Reach	69.5” (177 cm)	72” (183 cm)
Age	34	33
Nickname	The Sandman	N/A
Fighting Stance	Switch	Orthodox
Significant Strikes Landed/Minute	4.86	5.30
Strikes Absorbed/Minute	3.47	3.98
Takedown Average	1.15	1.91
Takedown Defense	56 %	56 %
Current Ranking	No. 4	No. 5
Fighting Out Of	Aurora, Colorado, U.S.	Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.

Fight Analysis & Prediction

No. 4 Cory Sandhagen vs. No. 5 Mario Bautista Bantamweight Main Card Bout Betting Odds

Fighter	Moneyline	Spread	Rounds	Win by Decision	Win by KO/TKO/DQ	Win by Submission	Go the Distance
Cory Sandhagen	-145	-3.5 (+120)	O2.5 (-260)	+165	+375	+1,100	Yes (-225)
Mario Bautista	+120	+3.5 (-150)	U2.5 (+195)	+185	+1,400	+1,000	No (+172)

Cory Sandhagen (18-6) fought for the bantamweight title in his most recent bout, losing to former champ Merab Dvalishvili in a fight that he actually had control of early. He was able to keep the wily champ from getting what he wanted, a takedown, but in the end got a little too comfortable and nearly got finished by “The Machine.”

Mario Bautista (17-3), meanwhile, has been pretty much rolling ever since that UFC debut loss to Sandhagen back in 2019. His only loss came in his second most recent scrap, when he lost a tight decision to Umar Nurmagomedov (who also beat Sandhagen recently).

This will be a battle of two highly technical strikers who are just as comfortable taking things to the mat and scrambling around like mad men. We would tend to give the edge to Sandhagen, as he has the better kicking game, has a decent size advantage, and has fought a much higher caliber of opponent.

While Sandhagen has been fighting the creme de la creme in this division since COVID, Bautista’s biggest wins have come against the likes of Vinicius Oliveira, Patchy Mix, and an over-the-hill Jose Aldo. We lean towards the experience in what should be a very tightly contested decision.

Best Bet: Cory Sandhagen Moneyline (-145)