Mario Bautista is fully aware of what he’s dealing with in Jose Aldo at UFC 307, and he won’t let any mental obstacles get in the way of achieving victory.
Bautista (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) said he was “super excited” when the phone rang with what would be the biggest opportunity of his career so far. After putting together six consecutive wins in the bantamweight division, he draws UFC Hall of Famer Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) at UFC 307, which takes place Oct. 5 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
“Big name, big challenge, and a win over someone like Jose in this division – it shoots you up the rankings, and you become known to a lot of people after a fight like that,” Bautista told MMA Junkie Radio. “That’s what I was excited about. I was pushing for a fight against Rob Font, and then I just kind of forgot about it. I was ready for any fight. So when they gave me Jose, I was like, ‘I’m glad I waited and stayed patient.'”
The matchup will answer a lot of questions about both men. Bautista’s winning has positioned him with a step up, but former longtime UFC featherweight champ Aldo represents a significant step up in competition, even though he will be 38 by the time fight night arrives.
Aldo, No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, returned from a 21-month MMA retirement in May and completed his UFC contract with a vintage unanimous decision over Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301. “Scarface” hinted that it could be his final fight with the promotion, but then he signed a new deal and the matchup with No. 14-ranked Bautista was announced for UFC 307.
The signing of a new deal indicates Aldo sees a positive future for himself still in the octagon. Beating another streaking name would be a statement for himself, but if it goes the other way for Bautista, it would be just as meaningful for his own career.
After his loss to Aldo at UFC 301, Martinez admitted he was starstruck by the legendary Brazilian when they stepped in the cage and didn’t perform to his peak. Bautista doesn’t anticipate having any such problems.
“I look at him as like a martial artist and the things he was able to do in the cage,” Bautista said. “Like that last fight against Ricky Simon, I was looking at guys with good takedown defense and he was one of the guys I was watching and studying to fight against Ricky and kind of take what he does. But no, as like a legend and someone I get starstruck about, I don’t think he’s one of those guys for me. I don’t know what was going wrong with Jonathan Martinez, but I don’t think it’s going to be a factor for me.
“I’m getting ready for the best version of Aldo there is. Like WEC Aldo. That’s the kind of Aldo I’m getting ready for. I think I’ve just got to overshoot it and just be ready for whatever Aldo shows up that night.”
Aldo has only ever been finished once since moving down to 135 pounds nearly five years ago, and that came in a title fight against Petr Yan. It’s no easy task to put him away inside the distance, but Bautista, 31, thinks he’s capable, and understands what the upside of winning in that manner would be.
“Definitely, if you can get the win, and in style – that’s always better,” Bautista said. “To get a quick finish and make it an early night, that’s always nice. But I think for this fight, one of us, both of us are going to get after it. It’s going to be fireworks. It’s going to be a good fight and it’s not going to be a boring fight for sure. Whatever happens, only good can come from it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
