Surging bantamweight Mario Bautista, who has notched victories over the likes of Patchy Mix and Jose Aldo of late, has earned another big name for his next fight.
Bautista (16-2) will face former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov (18-1) as part of UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, UAE on October 25, 2025.
UFC CEO and President Dana White announced the news Thursday evening. The bout had originally been rumored for earlier in the month, though not officially confirmed by the promotion.
Mario Bautista has been on a tear over the past several years, having not lost a fight since 2021. He’s won eight straight contests, the most recent being his decision win over ex-Bellator MMA champ and grand prix winner Mix.
Nurmagomedov will be returning to action for the first time since falling short in a title fight with champ Merab Dvalishvili in January. That marked the first setback of Nurmagomedov’s career.
The Dagestani remains ranked #2 at 135lbs in the UFC, while Baustista clocks in at #8.
UFC 321 is headlined by heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall taking on Ciryl Gane, with Aspinall’s now undisputed title on the line. The following match-ups have been reported for the event:
- Tom Aspinall (c) vs. Ciryl Gane
- Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern
- Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida
- Aleksandar Rakić vs. Azamat Murzakanov
- Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Chris Barnett
- Ikram Aliskerov vs. Park Jun-yong
- Azat Maksum vs. Mitch Raposo
- Jaqueline Amorim vs. Mizuki Inoue
- Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Matheus Camilo
- Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista
