Mario Bautista facts for kids

Mario Alberto Bautista (born July 1, 1993) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of November 5, 2024, he is ranked #10 in the UFC's bantamweight division.

About Mario Bautista

Mario Bautista was born in Winnemucca, Nevada, in the United States. He started wrestling when he was 14 years old. He wrestled all through high school. After high school, he began training in jiu-jitsu.

Mario later moved from Nevada to Arizona. There, he joined a team called MMA Lab. He trained under a coach named John Crouch. This is where he began his professional career in mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2012.

Mario's MMA Journey

Starting His Career

Before joining the UFC, Mario Bautista fought in different groups. These included Tachi Palace Fights, Combate Americas, LFA, and SMASH Global. He fought in Arizona and California. During this time, he won all six of his fights. This strong start helped him get noticed by the UFC.

Fighting in the UFC

Mario's first fight in the UFC was on January 19, 2019. He fought Cory Sandhagen at UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Dillashaw. Mario lost this fight in the first round by submission.

On July 20, 2019, Mario fought Jin Soo Son. He won this fight by a unanimous decision. This means all the judges agreed he won.

Mario faced Miles Johns on February 8, 2020, at UFC 247. He won the fight in the second round by technical knockout (TKO). This win was so impressive that he earned a special "Performance of the Night" award.

On March 6, 2021, Mario fought Trevin Jones at UFC 259. He lost this fight by TKO in the second round.

Mario was supposed to fight Guido Cannetti in August 2021. But he had to pull out because he got sick with COVID-19.

He was then scheduled to fight Khalid Taha in February 2022. But Taha also had to pull out. A new fighter, Jay Perrin, stepped in. Mario won this fight by unanimous decision.

On June 25, 2022, Mario fought Brian Kelleher. He won this fight in the first round. He used a move called a rear-naked choke to make his opponent give up.

Mario faced Benito Lopez on November 5, 2022. Lopez weighed too much for the fight, so he had to pay a fine. Mario won the fight in the first round. He used a cool move called a reverse triangle armbar to win. This win also earned him another "Performance of the Night" award.

Mario's fight with Guido Cannetti was set again for March 11, 2023. Mario won this fight in the first round with another rear-naked choke submission.

On August 19, 2023, Mario was supposed to fight Cody Garbrandt. But Garbrandt got hurt and couldn't fight. So, Da'Mon Blackshear stepped in. Mario won this fight by unanimous decision.

Mario fought Ricky Simón on January 13, 2024. He won this fight by unanimous decision as well.

His most recent fight was on October 5, 2024, at UFC 307. He faced José Aldo, a former champion. Mario won the fight by a split decision. This means some judges thought Aldo won, but more judges thought Mario won.

Awards and Achievements

Mario Bautista has earned some cool awards in his MMA career:

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Performance of the Night (Two times): He got this award for his exciting wins against Miles Johns and Benito Lopez.
  • Fight of the Night (One time): He earned this for his exciting fight against Son Jin-soo.
  • He is tied for the third longest winning streak in the UFC Bantamweight division. He has won 7 fights in a row!

See also

In Spanish: Mario Bautista para niños

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists