Mario Bautista replaces John Lineker to fight Cory Sandhagen at UFC Brooklyn

Just one week away, the UFC’s first show of 2019 continues to change and one of its previously scheduled bantamweight bouts is now a completely different fight altogether.

MMA Fighting has confirmed that Octagon newcomer Mario Bautista (6-0) will step in on short notice for an injured John Lineker to fight Cory Sandhagen at UFC Brooklyn on Jan. 19, following an initial report by FloCombat. Sandhagen (9-1) himself was a replacement for an injured Dominick Cruz.

Bautista, a product of the MMA Lab in Arizona, is unbeaten in six pro bouts. He finished his first five fights, including a pair of opponents in Legacy Fighting Alliance, and most recently won a unanimous decision against Juan Pablo Gonzalez at a Combate Americas show in October.

UFC Brooklyn takes place at Barclays Center on Jan. 19 and will mark the promotion’s debut on the ESPN+ streaming service.

See the updated card below:

Henry Cejudo vs. T.J. Dillashaw

Greg Hardy vs. Allen Crowder

Gregor Gillespie vs. Yancy Medeiros

Joseph Benavidez vs. Dustin Ortiz

Paige VanZant vs. Rachael Ostovich

Glover Teixeira vs. Karl Roberson

Donald Cerrone vs. Alexander Hernandez

Joanne Calderwood vs. Ariane Lipski

Alonzo Menifield vs. Vinicius Castro

Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista

Dennis Bermudez vs. Te Edwards

Belal Muhammad vs. Geoff Neal