LAS VEGAS – Mario Bautista wasted little time getting the job done on Saturday.
In what was perhaps the cleanest performance of his six-fight UFC run so far, Bautista (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) only needed half a round to seal the victory against Brian Kelleher on the prelims of UFC on ESPN 38 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
After getting the fight to the mat and transitioning to full mount, Bautista found an opening to slap on a rear-naked choke as Kelleher (24-13 MMA, 8-6 UFC) turned away. The choke was in deep and Kelleher had no choice but to tap.
Check out video of the submission below (via Twitter):
Bautista ends it in round one 🔒 #UFCVegas57 pic.twitter.com/yckvFREIsQ
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 25, 2022
“I was super happy to show off my jiu-jitsu,” Bautisa told Michael Bisping during his post-fight interview in the cage. “I’ve been working a lot with John Crouch, and I’ve been waiting to show it off in the UFC. What better guy to show it against than my opponent.”
The win marks the second straight for Bautista, entering Saturday’s contest on the heels of a unanimous decision win over Jay Perrin in February.
Up-to-the-minute results of UFC on ESPN 38 include:
- Mario Bautista def. Brian Kelleher via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:27
- Vanessa Demopoulos def. Jinh Yu Frey via spit decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
