For his second fight back following a brief retirement, former featherweight champ Jose Aldo continued to stalk the bantamweight division, taking on Mario Bautista at UFC 307.
Their Salt Lake City fight saw Aldo, for the second straight occasion, take on a younger, up-and-coming fighter in the 135lb division (following Jonathan Martinez). And even if Bautista was the wrong side of 30, at just 31, he was still seven years the junior of “Scarface.”
Aldo went right to work with his infamous leg kicks in the third fight in on the UFC 307 main card. Bautista however stayed in his face, and punched his way in, putting Aldo’s back against the fence. Bautista would eat time off the clock there, but never could get Aldo down. Instead, they moved back to center, with Aldo landing a right hand. Bautista however answered back. A moment later, he changed levels, again driving Aldo into the fence, but again, unable to land the desired takedown. Again, they’d end up back at center, though Bautista was certainly holding his own, looking sharp against the Brazilian legend through the first five minutes.
Round two saw Bautista cut early off an Aldo jab. Aldo then doubled up on his left hand; Bautista shot in for a single-leg out of desperation, but the veteran showed off excellent balance and pulled free. Aldo started feeling himself, rolling with the punches, bobbing and moving, picking his shots and fighting off another takedown. Bautista launched a few shoulder strikes, with Aldo still pinned in place. Aldo then lifted a knee, landing a glancing blow, but in essence the pair were at a stalemate.
Aldo finally turned and broke free, later landing a crisp right hand over the top. Baustista jabbed back; Aldo’s was a little sharper. Bautista, however, was the busier fighter, and continued to mix in the takedown attempts, with Jose Aldo continuing to stuff them. When they came off the fence this time, Aldo landed a combo, and Bautista fired a wild jump knee. That missed the mark, and Aldo let rip with a combo again. Baustista would shoot in on a takedown one last time in the round, and it was stuffed once again.
Aldo and Bautista opened round three trading, with Baustista mixing things up by going to the body. A right hand landed for Aldo. Bautista connected with one of his own. Nearly two minutes in, and the next takedown attempt from Mario Bautista arrived. And as every single attempt for the first ten minutes of the fight had been, this one was also stopped. Bautista, however, was earning control time, in a close round, in a close fight. The crowd didn’t love it, and let themselves be heard; the ref acquiesced, but Bautista immediately shot in on another takedown attempt. Another warning for action from the ref, but this time it was Aldo peeling away, less than a minute in the fight. Aldo went on the offensive, getting a few shots in before Bautista level changed again, bringing about an end to the affair.
Come the scorecards, it was Bautista getting the nod by split decision. And not for the first time on the night, the crowd was not amused. Notably, Bautista never landed a takedown in the fight, though his wrestling and multiple attempts were key.
Official Result: Mario Bautista def. Jose Aldo by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
