UFC 250 free fight: Cory Sandhagen submits Mario Bautista in Brooklyn

Rising bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen showcased his full skill set to the world in just one round at UFC on ESPN+ 1.

After his initial opponent John Lineker was forced out, Sandhagen (12-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) faced newcomer Mario Bautista in January 2019, and registered his first submission win in the UFC in fine style.

Sandhagen pressed the action early, mixing things up to the body and finishing off his combinations with hard leg kicks. Two minutes into the round, the Team Elevation athlete landed a big flying knee that dropped Bautista, who did well to recover by holding onto Sandhagen’s leg and flipping him over for the slam takedown.

But, despite Bautista landing the takedown, it was Sandhagen who took advantage on the mat. He latched onto Bautista’s neck, then used a triangle choke attempt to eventually transition to an armbar as he forced Bautista to tap at the 3:31 mark.

Sandhagen went on to win his next two bouts as he defeated Lineker and Raphael Assuncao – both via unanimous decision – to position himself as one of the UFC’s top contenders at 135 pounds.

Now “The Sandman” is all set to take on fellow bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling at UFC 250. The event takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Before Sandhagen faces Sterling, relive his one-round finish of Bautista via the video above.