[autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] and [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 preview
The Aldo coming-out-of-retirement tour continues, and the former longtime featherweight king has his sights set on the bantamweight crown. But to get himself into consideration, Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) will have to dispatch Bautista (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who’s ranked one spot behind him at No. 11 in the official UFC rankings. … Aldo returned from a nearly two-year MMA hiatus this past February with a sterling performance in a unanimous decision win over Jonathan Martinez. … Bautista has been on a roll for the past two-plus years, having won six fights in a row. He’s coming off a unanimous decision win over Ricky Simon this past January.
Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 expert pick, prediction
Serving as an action-filled offering at bantamweight is a fun fight between Aldo and Bautista.
Despite being the 20th time that Aldo has come out of retirement, the former featherweight champion and pound-for-pound GOAT has looked incredible in this most recent late-career renaissance.
Bautista, on the other hand, is an MMA Lab product that I and many others have had their eyes on for some time. Although Bautista initially stepped on the scene as a flashy switch-stance striker, the longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt has found some solid success by integrating more wrestling into his approach.
That said, with Aldo using his vaunted takedown defense to arguably beat now-champion Merab Dvalishvili the last time he fought in Utah, I have a hard time doubting the Brazilian legend – even at this point of his career.
I won’t be shocked if Bautista can grind out a decision, but I’ll pick Aldo to find an empathic counter hook that leads to a stoppage in Round 2.
Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 preview odds
The oddsmakers and the public are slightly favoring the American fighter, listing Bautista -150 and Aldo +118 via FanDuel.
Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 start time, how to watch
As the featured bout, Aldo and Bautista are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 11:15 p.m. ET (9:15 p.m. locally in Salt Lake City). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.