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Mario Bautista has been given the privilege of facing the legendary José Aldo at UFC 307. The pair will clash at bantamweight in a bout that marks Aldo's second UFC fight since his previous retirement from MMA.
Ahead of the matchup, much of the conversation has revolved around Aldo's second stint in the promotion. Little, unfortunately, has been said about Bautista, who is on a noteworthy hot streak. By beating Aldo come UFC 307, he can announce himself to the world.
Before that, he deserves a deep dive of his own. So, who exactly is Mario Bautista and why has he flown under the radar?
Who is Mario Bautista?
Mario Bautista hails from Winnemucca, Nevada. He was born there on July 1, 1993, and as a child, the now 31-year old Bautista dreamt of a future in combat sports.
Boxing dominated his childhood, as he tuned in to watch the sweet science whenever he could. However, as he grew older, his focus shifted to MMA, and he eventually found himself wrestling at Lowry High before transitioning to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and ultimately, to MMA.
While there's very little information on Bautista's personal life, as he seems to keep his private affairs tight to his chest, he appears to have a young daughter based on an Instagram post from 2019.
Mario Bautista's MMA career
Despite flying under the radar so far, Mario Bautista is an exceptional UFC bantamweight with high-level grappling. Training out of the MMA Lab, which is also home to fellow bantamweight and former UFC champion Sean O'Malley, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has been on a tear since 2021.
He has authored a six-fight win streak, beating the likes of Ricky Simón and Da'Mon Blacshear, among others, to improve his MMA record to 14-2. Now, he faces the greatest challenge of his career at UFC 307, where an all-time great in José Aldo awaits him at high elevation in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The matchup, if he emerges victorious, will do wonders for him, allowing him to break into the bantamweight top 10 with a win over an ex-featherweight champion. A loss, however, would likely see him lose his current #11 ranking in the division.
