LAS VEGAS – Mario Bautista entered UFC Fight Night 214 believing he was a level above his opponent, and the result supported that notion.
From the moment the fight began, Bautista (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) poured on the forward pressure with hard strikes. Mixing up kicks to the legs and hard punches upstairs, Bautista had Benito Lopez moving backward early.
Late in the round when the fight hit the mat, Bautista wrapped up Lopez (10-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in a triangle and began hunting for a finish. As Lopez attempted to scramble, his arm became an option for Bautista for an attack, and he did just that while the triangle became inverted.
Lopez focused on the finish and forced a tap from a reverse triangle armbar with just six seconds remaining in the opening round.
Check out the replay of the finish below (via Twitter):
WITH 5 SECONDS ON THE CLOCK ⏰@Bautista_MMA gets his 3rd straight W late in round 1! #UFCVegas64 pic.twitter.com/qH6Javrrws
— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2022
Make that 3 straight wins for @Bautista_MMA 👏 #UFCVegas64 pic.twitter.com/kPjn12XNjr
— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2022
After the win, Bautista said he expected to dominate in such a fashion, and called for a matchup against an opponent in the top 15 early next year. Bautista’s second-straight first-round finish extended his current win streak to three.
Up-to-the-minute results of UFC Fight Night 214 include:
- Mario Bautista def. Benito Lopez via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 4:54
- Polyana Viana def. Jinh Yu Frey via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:47
- Johnny Munoz def. Liudvik Sholinian via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Jake Hadley def. Carlos Candelario via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 2:39
- Tamires Vidal def. Ramona Pascual via TKO (flying knee) – Round 1, 3:06
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 214.
