Mario Bautista

Bautista targeted Sandhagen's lead leg and drove the fight into takedowns. Sandhagen stayed competitive with straight punching in the striking exchanges. Bautista's takedowns carried the unanimous decision.

Key moments

• Bautista targeted Sandhagen's lead leg and drove the fight into takedowns.
• Sandhagen stayed competitive with straight punching in the striking exchanges.
• Bautista's takedowns carried the unanimous decision.

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.

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A grappling-heavy, competitive fight against a short-notice replacement for the withdrawn Cody Garbrandt.

Key moments

• Garbrandt pulled out injured; Blackshear stepped in on short notice.
• Blackshear dominated the grappling exchanges in round one.
• 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.

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.

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.

The finish earned a Performance of the Night bonus and handed Johns his first professional loss.

Key moments

• 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.