SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag] admits the [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] matchup caught him by surprise.
A rising bantamweight out of MMA Lab, Bautista (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) takes on the all-time featherweight great Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 307. The fight takes place on the main card at Delta Center.
“When I got Jose Aldo, I was pretty excited, pretty happy,” Bautista told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “He’s ranked and a UFC legend, I was pretty surprised that he was taking on these young guys. You’d think he’d come back and fight someone at his age caliber or (with) a following, like a Henry Cejudo or someone like that. But props to him. He’s willing to take the risk.”
Despite the high-profile opponent, Bautista doesn’t feel like there’s more of a spotlight on him. In his mind, all eyes are still on Aldo, but he hopes through a successful performance that might change.
“(A win) would definitely move me into the top 10, top five possibly,” Bautista said. “As a fighter, you always want these fights, these Hall of Famers or someone who has been around the game for a while, just to test yourself against them. I know he’s not in his prime but that doesn’t matter. It’s just the name and something I’ve always looked forward to.”
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Should he win Saturday, Bautista acknowledges his career trajectory will point further upward. His life might change, but in some regards, Bautista hopes he can remain low-key.
“I’m going to have to just be myself,” Bautista said. “I’m just kind of like a homebody. I just stay at home and kind of decline some things. I don’t know if it’s good or not. It just keeps my peace of mind. It just keeps me focused on training. That’s just what I love to do, is train (and) fight. But if it comes and it’s right up my alley, I’ll do it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.