Mario Bautista Ready to Shock Umar and Khabib Nurmagomedov with His Relentless Game
Mario Bautista plans on bringing the heat against Umar Nurmagomedov.
After putting on an exceptional showing against former Bellator star Patchy Mix in June, Bautista will step back inside the Octagon at UFC 321 for his toughest test yet against Nurmagomedov.
With a win over the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, Bautista could launch himself from the eighth-ranked bantamweight fighter in the world to No. 2, potentially solidifying himself a shot against the winner of next month’s 135-pound title tilt between Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen.
Looking ahead to their highly anticipated clash, Bautista is well aware of the stakes at play and just how difficult it will be to walk away with a win over someone as dangerous as Nurmagomedov.
“I think Umar and Khabib and those guys are going, ‘Hold on a second. Do we have a cardio machine like Mario Bautista?’ What I did to Patchy Mix, it was nonstop significant strikes all three rounds,” Bautista told MMA Junkie. “So, we know you can do that.”
“Your next fight is always going to be your toughest fight. You have to have that mindset. It doesn’t get easier. I’ve never had that mindset. Comparing him to the other guys, it’s just a different challenge. I’ve fought some good grapplers… but this is a little bit more of a high-profile one.”
While Bautista rides into Abu Dhabi on a 12-fight win streak, Nurmagomedov will look to bounce back after suffering the first loss of his career.
Nurmagomedov came up short in his bid to dethrone Merab Dvalishvili, surrendering a unanimous decision to the Georgian titleholder. With a win over Bautista at UFC 321, he’ll not only climb back into the win column, but he’ll also re-establish himself as a legitimate contender in MMA’s most talent-rich division.
