Tag: Mario Bautista

Mario Bautista explains why Jose Aldo also to blame for lackluster UFC 307 fight

Mario Bautista isn’t taking all the blame for his lackluster win over Jose Aldo at UFC 307.

[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag] believes he shouldn’t be blamed entirely for his lackluster win over [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] at UFC 307.

Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) defeated Aldo by split decision in Saturday’s main card at Salt Lake City – a performance that was heavily criticized. Bautista found success on the feet early but resorted to grappling after he admittedly got rocked in Round 2.

Bautista was accused of stalling when he couldn’t get Aldo (32-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) down, but the 31-year-old rising contender said UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili did the same thing when he fought Aldo. Dvalishvili went 0-16 in his takedown attempts vs. Aldo but won the fight by unanimous decision.

“Merab did the same thing. He probably held him against the cage longer than I did, and now look at him. He’s the champ,” Bautista told MMA Junkie Radio. “If we’re actually talking about Aldo, he almost did a similar thing against ‘Chito’ (Vera).

“He started losing that first round, and then he takes ‘Chito’ down and stays on his back for the whole second round and the whole third round, and no one gave crap to Aldo about it. Even me, I’m not going to give crap to Aldo. It’s more on ‘Chito.’ Oh, ‘Chito’ can’t get this guy off his back.’ So that’s the thing: It’s just like a little double standard for some of these Hall of Famers and fan favorites.”

Bautista said he was surprised that Aldo never tried to break free when he had his back stacked against the cage. He thinks it’s on him to get busy, too.

“I just wanted him to keep on working,” Bautista explained. “I just wanted him to break out of the clinch, use that energy to get out, and then just kind of stay stuck to him. Just keep him working, working. I just didn’t really think he was going to, I don’t know, I guess just stay on the wall?

“I thought he was going to get out because that takes up some energy. There are points where I felt – yeah, he was defending the takedown, and maybe he could have circled off, but he just kind of chose to stay there and kind of wait a little bit. Yeah, I was holding him against the cage, but at the same time, I think he did have opportunities to circle off. It’s just he chose not to.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

MMA Junkie Radio #3504: Guests A.J. McKee and Mario Bautista, UFC preview, Ngannou, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”


Thursday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,504, the gentlemen welcome in guests [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] and [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]. They also previewed Saturday’s UFC card in Las Vegas and discussed the latest news, including Francis Ngannou’s retirement timeline, Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway getting heated, Dana White warming to a tournament and more. Tune in!

Mario Bautista has a simple response to Conor McGregor after UFC 307 win: ‘Kiss my ass’

Mario Bautista took a split call from ex-champ Jose Aldo at UFC 307, then fired back at criticism from Conor McGregor.

SALT LAKE CITY – [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag] beat Jose Aldo with a split decision Saturday on the main card at UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Take a look inside the fight with Bautista, who ran his winning streak to seven fights and picked up the first win of his career against a former UFC champion.

Mario Bautista def. Jose Aldo

Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Jose Aldo (red gloves) hugs Mario Bautista (blue gloves) after their fight during UFC 307 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Result: Mario Bautista def. Jose Aldo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Updated records: Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC), Aldo (32-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC)
Key stats: Bautista outstruck Aldo 90-75 and had nearly 50 percent of the fight in his favor for control time – a strategy that was criticized.

Bautista on the fight’s key moment

Oct 5, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Jose Aldo (red gloves) fights Mario Bautista (blue gloves) during UFC 307 at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“The performance is what it is. I had to do what I had to do. I got caught in the second round. I got hit with something pretty good, and then I was able to drive through the fence. He has good takedown defense, but he cannot get off the cage. That’s not my fault. If that was me, I’m able to circle off the cage. Whatever the crowd thinks, what everyone thinks (by booing), that’s on him. He wasn’t getting off the fence (when we clinched), and I’m not going to let him off the fence. I try to take him down – he’s good right there. That’s something Merab (Dvalishvili) did (against Aldo), and and now look at him: He’s the champ.”

Bautista on Conor McGregor’s criticism

Jul 10, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor reacts following an injury suffered against Dustin Poirier during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

“Conor can kiss my ass and he can fight whenever he’s supposed to take the fight against (Michael) Chandler. Shut up.”

Bautista on what he wants next

Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista, January 2019, UFC Fight Night 143

“I was thinking (Cory) Sandhagen, but he’s coming off a loss, and I’m seven (wins) in a row now. … I really won’t talk sh*t to anyone. But just having the crowd boo me (at UFC 307) and everything, it kind of brought it out of me a little bit. If you give it to me, I’ll give it right back to you, if that’s what you guys want to see.”

To hear more from Bautista, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

UFC 307 images

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UFC 307 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program cracks $29 million total paid since Venum deal

The UFC has now paid more than $29 million to its athletes under the Promotional Guidelines Compliance program following UFC 307.

SALT LAKE CITY – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 307 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $407,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 307 took place at Delta Center in Utah. The main card aired on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 307 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag]: $42,000

[autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Iasmin Lucindo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Alexander Hernandez[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Austin Hubbard[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ryan Spann[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Ovince Saint Preux[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Tecia Pennington[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Court McGee[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $21,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,302,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $29,039,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

UFC 307 results: Mario Bautista grinds out split decision nod over Hall of Famer Jose Aldo

The UFC 307 crowd in Salt Lake City didn’t like the scorecards, but Mario Bautista picked up a win over Hall of Famer Jose Aldo.

The fans in attendance didn’t like the result, but [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag] tuned out the feedback to grind out a win over former UFC champion and Hall of Famer [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag].

The bantamweight bout was part of the UFC 307 main card at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) didn’t give Aldo (32-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) much space to operate throughout their 15 minute affair, leading to a split decision win (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).

Bautista came out aggressively with strikes to lead the dance early. Aldo responded with a few well-placed leg kicks before Bautista tested his takedown defense. Aldo kept the fight standing, denying his opponent a takedown throughout a pair of clinch situations along the fence.

The crowd livened up when the two traded strikes in the center of the cage, making for an entertaining end to Round 1.

Aldo busted open a cut over Bautista’s right eye just seconds into Round 2, prompting more heated exchanges. Bautista looked to slow things down with a takedown, but Aldo remained upright against the cage. After they separated, punches flew in fast exchanges, once again getting the crowd pumped.

With less than a minute to go, Aldo found home for a few combinations before Bautista looked for a single leg.

The close fight continued into the final round, where Bautista pressured the Hall of Famer both on the feet and in the clinch. The crowd didn’t appreciate the clinch work by Bautista, but that didn’t deter his approach, even after the referee broke them up.

Aldo found space to escape with about 40 seconds remaining, but his striking charges was cut short by another single leg attempt from Bautista.

The official decision was read as a split decision in Bautista’s favor, which prompted a chorus of boos from the Utah crowd.

With the result, Bautista extends his winning streak to seven by beating his toughest opponent to date. On his current run, the 31-year-old bantamweight has turned away Jay Perrin, Brian Kelleher, Benito Lopez, Guido Cannetti, Da’Mon Blackshear, Ricky Simon, and now Aldo.

Aldo, 38, stepped away from the UFC in 2022 to pursue boxing competition. After a 2-0-1 run, Aldo returned at UFC 301 in May, where he picked up a unanimous decision win over Jonathan Martinez. Unfortunately for “The King of Rio,” he exits Utah just one scorecard shy of a victory.

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Up-to-the-minute UFC 307 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Mario Bautista def. Jose Aldo at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Mario Bautista’s split decision win over Jose Aldo at UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag]’s split decision win over [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] at UFC 307 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. (Fight and venue photos by Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA Today Sports)

Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista prediction, pick, start time for UFC 307

Mario Bautista is dangerous everywhere, but can he get past Hall of Famer Jose Aldo on the UFC 307 main card?

[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. 

Last event: 2-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 81-72-3

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.

UFC 307 full pre-fight press conference faceoffs: Two title fights, Kayla Harrison, Jose Aldo, more

The entire stacked UFC 307 main card lineup squared up for the first time on fight week after the pre-fight press conference.

SALT LAKE CITY – Stars of UFC 307 came face-to-face for the first time during fight week Thursday following the pre-fight press conference.

With fight week festivities ramping into high gear, fighters took the stage to answer questions from the media, then faced off for the first time ahead of the event which takes place at Delta Center (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+).

In addition to the [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khalil Rountree[/autotag] and [autotag]Julianna Peña[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] title fights, other matchups of [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag], [autotag]Ketlen Vieira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] and [autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kevin Holland[/autotag] also were in attendance and participated in staredowns.

Watch the video above to see the full press conference faceoffs ahead of UFC 307.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Mario Bautista gives props to legend Jose Aldo for UFC 307 fight: ‘He’s willing to take the risk’

Ahead of UFC 307, Mario Bautista admits he was surprised Jose Aldo would fight a smaller name such as himself.

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.

Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 307 clash

UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo is the betting underdog to Mario Bautista at UFC 307, despite the latter holding no top 10 wins.

The loaded UFC 307 lineup will see the return of UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag], who makes his second appearance since returning from retirement earlier this year when he takes on another up-and-coming name in the bantamweight division in [autotag]Mario Bautista[/autotag].

Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista preview

After teasing a move to boxing after fighting out of his contract in May with a win over Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro, Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) opted to ink a new deal to stay inside the octagon, and the former longtime UFC champ appears poised to try to make another title run at 135 pounds.

To do that he will have to get through the surging Bautista (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who is riding a six-fight winning streak that positioned him to get a step up in opponent name value to Aldo.

Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista odds

DraftKings released the opening odds for the bout, in which Aldo is a +145 betting underdog against Bautista, who is a -175 favorite.

How to watch Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista at UFC 307

  • When: October 5
  • Where: Delta Center, Salt Lake City
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.