Mario Bautista

Bautista attacked Sandhagen's lead leg and repeatedly pressured into takedowns, while Sandhagen stayed competitive with straight punches. All three judges scored the fight 29–28 for Bautista.

Key moments

• Bautista attacked Sandhagen's lead leg.
• He repeatedly converted pressure into takedown attempts and control.
• All three judges returned 29–28 scorecards for Bautista.

Bautista's first headliner, and a dominant one: he out-landed Oliveira 52-19 and scored five takedowns before working to the back and finishing with a rear-naked choke late in round two.

Key moments

• Pressure striking drained Oliveira in round one.
• Five takedowns and sustained control.
• Swept to a crucifix, then the back.
• Rear-naked choke finish at 4:46; earned bonuses.

A one-sided grappling loss: Umar Nurmagomedov caught a kick and took the back behind a body triangle early, and chain-wrestled Bautista down whenever he threatened, taking 30-27 cards across the board.

Key moments

• Umar took the back with a body triangle in round one.
• Bautista's best stretch — a knee and body kick — came in round two.
• Chain-wrestled down on every shot in round three.
• Clear 30-27 unanimous decision.

Bautista out-struck the hyped former Bellator champion in Mix's UFC debut, stuffing his lone takedown and snapping Mix's seven-fight win streak on the way to a clear decision.

Key moments

• Out-landed a sluggish Mix on the feet.
• Stuffed Mix's only takedown attempt.
• Snapped Mix's seven-fight win streak.
• Unanimous decision in Mix's debut.

A controversial split nod over the Hall-of-Famer: Bautista outworked Aldo in round one and leaned on fence control late, stuffing all of Aldo's takedown attempts even as Aldo edged the significant strikes.

Key moments

• Outworked Aldo in round one.
• Aldo surged and cut him in round two.
• Fence-clinch control through round three.
• Stuffed all ten of Aldo's takedown tries; split decision.

A back-and-forth thriller in which Bautista's volume carried the wider cards, building the momentum that pushed him up the bantamweight ladder.

Key moments

• Competitive striking throughout.
• Bautista's volume edged the cards.
• Built momentum up the rankings.
• Unanimous decision win.

A grappling-heavy, competitive fight against a short-notice replacement for the withdrawn Cody Garbrandt. Blackshear pressed hard in round one with takedown attempts, but Bautista turned up the striking and wrestling in rounds two and three, landing his first takedown late and controlling the back to take judges' scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 — though most media observers scored it for Blackshear.

Key moments

• Garbrandt pulled out injured; Blackshear stepped in on short notice.
• Blackshear dominated the grappling exchanges in round one.
• Bautista landed a big elbow and a double-leg in round two to shift momentum.
• Took the back twice in round three; controversial 29-28 scores secured the decision.

Bautista dominated the rematch with veteran Cannetti, landing a suplex slam that sent the 43-year-old Argentine to the canvas, then quickly sinking in a rear-naked choke for the tap at 3:18 of round one. After the win Bautista called out ex-champion Cody Garbrandt.

Key moments

• Second meeting between the two fighters; Bautista won the first as well.
• A suplex slam put Cannetti on the mat and opened the finish.
• Rear-naked choke secured at 3:18 of round one.
• Bautista called out Cody Garbrandt in his post-fight interview.

Bautista earned a Performance of the Night bonus with a slick reverse triangle armbar submission at 4:54 of round one, finishing a fight Lopez had entered 2.5 lbs overweight — earning a portion of Lopez's purse as a bonus on top of the finish bonus.

Key moments

• Lopez weighed in 2.5 lbs over the bantamweight limit; fined 20% of his purse, paid to Bautista.
• Bautista secured a rare reverse triangle armbar finish.
• Submission came at 4:54 of round one.
• Earned Performance of the Night award.

Bautista made quick work of the experienced Brian Kelleher at UFC Vegas 57, securing a rear-naked choke in the first round at 2:27. The finish extended his winning streak and showcased the grappling efficiency that was becoming his calling card.

Key moments

• Locked up a rear-naked choke just over two minutes into the opening round.
• Kelleher, a UFC veteran with finishing power, was neutralized by Bautista's grappling.
• First-round submission at 2:27 at the UFC APEX.
• Part of a run of submission finishes that defined his 2022 campaign.

Bautista handled UFC newcomer Jay Perrin, who stepped in on short notice, with patient clinch control and body work — peppering him with elbows, knees, and shoulder strikes through three rounds to earn scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 30-26.

Key moments

• Perrin accepted the fight on short notice in his promotional debut.
• Bautista landed two flying knees within the first minute of round one.
• Dominated clinch exchanges throughout with elbows, body shots, and shoulder strikes.
• Unanimous decision: 30-27, 30-27, 30-26.

Bautista was stopped in shocking fashion just 40 seconds into round two, floored by a hybrid uppercut from Trevin Jones that buckled him instantly. Jones followed with ground-and-pound to force the stoppage in what served as the opening fight of the UFC 259 main card.

Key moments

• Opened the main card at UFC 259 at the UFC APEX.
• Jones landed a hybrid uppercut that dropped Bautista in round two.
• TKO stoppage came at just 0:40 of the second round.
• The win was Jones's first official UFC victory after a previous result was overturned.

One of the highlights of Bautista's career: he landed a perfectly-timed flying knee that buckled previously undefeated Miles Johns in round two, then jumped on with punches to force the stoppage at 1:41 inside Toyota Center in Houston. The finish earned a Performance of the Night bonus and handed Johns his first professional loss.

Key moments

• Johns entered the fight undefeated; Bautista handed him his first pro loss.
• A flying knee in round two buckled Johns and set up the finish.
• TKO via flying knee and follow-up punches at 1:41 of round two.
• Earned Performance of the Night bonus.

A relentless, back-and-forth bantamweight bout in San Antonio that earned both fighters Fight of the Night honors. Bautista's pace and volume edged the Korean Son over three rounds, with judges scoring it 30-27, 30-27, 29-28.

Key moments

• First UFC win after his debut loss; fought at AT&T Center in San Antonio.
• Back-and-forth pace earned Fight of the Night bonus for both fighters.
• Judges scored it 30-27, 30-27, 29-28 in Bautista's favor.
• Son had UFC experience but Bautista's output proved the difference.

Bautista's UFC debut — taken on short notice as a replacement for the injured John Lineker — ended in a first-round armbar loss to the rising Cory Sandhagen. Sandhagen landed a flying knee that sent Bautista to the canvas, then transitioned through a kimura attempt to an armbar for the tap at 3:31.

Key moments

• Short-notice UFC debut, replacing the injured John Lineker.
• Sandhagen landed a flying knee that grounded Bautista.
• Worked through a kimura attempt before securing the armbar.
• Submission at 3:31 of round one at UFC Fight Night Brooklyn.

Bautista earned a unanimous decision over González at Combate Americas 26 in Tucson, Arizona — a Mexico vs. USA themed card — building his unbeaten regional record ahead of his eventual UFC signing.

Key moments

• Fought on the Combate Americas Mexico vs. USA card in Tucson.
• Won all three rounds on the judges' scorecards.
• Part of an unbeaten run through regional competition in 2017–18.
• One of his last regional fights before earning a UFC contract.

Fighting in Phoenix on the LFA 44 card, Bautista secured a second-round guillotine choke at 3:30 — another submission finish to extend his unbeaten record on the regional circuit ahead of his UFC debut.

Key moments

• LFA 44 in Phoenix, Arizona — Bautista's regional home turf.
• Guillotine choke submission at 3:30 of round two.
• Continued a pattern of submission finishes throughout his pre-UFC career.
• One of his final regional fights before signing with the UFC.

Bautista earned a second-round doctor stoppage win over Brazilian prospect Montini de Lima at LFA 31, with the TKO coming right at the five-minute mark of round two. The result kept his unbeaten record intact on the regional circuit.

Key moments

• Second-round TKO via doctor stoppage at 5:00 — the very end of the round.
• Opponent Montini de Lima was a Brazilian prospect making his North American appearance.
• LFA 31 was part of the circuit Bautista used to build toward a UFC contract.
• Maintained his undefeated regional record.

Bautista submitted DeMarcus Brown with a rear-naked choke at 4:46 of the first round at Smash Global 6, billed as a black-tie MMA gala event. Another early submission win on the Arizona regional circuit as he built toward larger promotions.

Key moments

• Smash Global 6 was a boutique black-tie MMA event.
• Rear-naked choke finish at 4:46 of round one.
• Bautista's submission grappling was already a clear pattern early in his career.
• Part of an unbeaten run through Arizona-based regional competition.

Bautista submitted Devon Chavez with a D'Arce choke just under a minute into round two at Tachi Palace Fights 32, one of California's established regional promotions. A quick, technical finish that added another submission to his early record.

Key moments

• Tachi Palace Fights was a respected California-based regional promotion.
• D'Arce choke at 0:59 of round two — a quick second-round finish.
• Early demonstration of the submission variety that would define his UFC career.
• Second professional fight; still undefeated.

Bautista's professional MMA debut at Iron Boy MMA 6 in Phoenix, Arizona — he stopped Jesse Orta by TKO via punches at 1:28 of the first round, launching his career with a quick, aggressive finish.

Key moments

• Professional MMA debut at Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona.
• Stopped Orta, who carried a 0-1 record, in under 90 seconds.
• TKO via punches at 1:28 of round one.
• Set the template for the finishing mentality he would carry into the UFC.