​Cory Sandhagen will still have a chance to compete on a major card at UFC 329, as he readies to face Mario Bautista on Saturday’s main card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, airing on Paramount+. Sandhagen, coming in with an 18-6 MMA record and 11-5 in the UFC, is set to collide with Bautista, who holds a 17-3 MMA ledger with 11-3 in the UFC. The matchup marks a high-profile bout on a card that also features Conor McGregor, giving Sandhagen a chance to appear alongside one of the sport’s biggest stars on a marquee stage.
Earlier in the year, Sandhagen hoped to face Sean O’Malley at UFC Freedom 250, but the bout instead went to Aiemann Zahabi. Although missing out on the White House card opportunity, Sandhagen now embraces the chance to fight on a card headlined by McGregor. “When I didn’t get on the White House card, I just like fighting in big fights,” Sandhagen told MMA Junkie Radio. “I like when people get to watch me fight, and I feel I do a lot better the more eyes that are watching, just because I’m a pretty calm guy. So the more excited I can get about a fight, usually the better. I’m definitely really excited to fight. I haven’t seen (McGregor) this week. I’m bummed about that. I really wanted to see him and at least shake his hand and just be around him for a little bit, but I’m excited for it.”
Sandhagen also weighed in on the likelihood that his bout with Bautista isn’t a No. 1 contender clash, but said the scheduling can still influence the trajectory of a title shot. “Yeah, definitely—that’s kind of how it works,” he explained. “They do that on purpose. They like to have a couple of bantamweights fighting around the same time, and then whoever has the most exciting fight or performs the best usually gets to fight for the belt next.” He suggested that his path to a title shot hinges on how the outcomes unfold in the division and emphasized that timing plays a key role.
“I think realistically, I’m probably one away from fighting for the belt, but you never know,” Sandhagen added. “If Merab (Dvalishvili) wins, they’re definitely not going to do Merab and (Sean) O’Malley for a third time. That would be a lot. If Umar (Nurmagomedov) beats Song (Yadong), he probably has a pretty good argument. So realistically, I think I have one more.” He framed the upcoming Bautista bout as a critical step in a larger campaign toward another title opportunity, underscoring the importance of performance and momentum.
This reshaped plan comes with a sense of purpose for Sandhagen, who sees the McGregor-borne spectacle as a platform to showcase his skills to a broad audience. He has spoken about the impact of crowd energy on his performances and believes that elevated attention can unlock stronger showings and, potentially, a clearer route to the belt. As the UFC 329 card approaches, Sandhagen remains focused on his immediate challenge against Bautista, while keeping an eye on the evolving bantamweight landscape and the ever-present possibility of a title shot in the near future.