The fans in attendance didn’t like the result, but Mario Bautista tuned out the feedback to grind out a win over former UFC champion and Hall of Famer Jose Aldo.
The bantamweight bout was part of the UFC 307 main card at Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) didn’t give Aldo (32-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) much space to operate throughout their 15 minute affair, leading to a split decision win (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
Bautista came out aggressively with strikes to lead the dance early. Aldo responded with a few well-placed leg kicks before Bautista tested his takedown defense. Aldo kept the fight standing, denying his opponent a takedown throughout a pair of clinch situations along the fence.
The crowd livened up when the two traded strikes in the center of the cage, making for an entertaining end to Round 1.
Aldo ducked the kick #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/4eJJKW1L5v
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 6, 2024
Aldo busted open a cut over Bautista’s right eye just seconds into Round 2, prompting more heated exchanges. Bautista looked to slow things down with a takedown, but Aldo remained upright against the cage. After they separated, punches flew in fast exchanges, once again getting the crowd pumped.
With less than a minute to go, Aldo found home for a few combinations before Bautista looked for a single leg.
The close fight continued into the final round, where Bautista pressured the Hall of Famer both on the feet and in the clinch. The crowd didn’t appreciate the clinch work by Bautista, but that didn’t deter his approach, even after the referee broke them up.
Aldo found space to escape with about 40 seconds remaining, but his striking charges was cut short by another single leg attempt from Bautista.
MARIO BAUTISTA BEATS JOSE ALDO VIA SPLIT DECISION #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/5gWrPJoADF
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 6, 2024
The official decision was read as a split decision in Bautista’s favor, which prompted a chorus of boos from the Utah crowd.
With the result, Bautista extends his winning streak to seven by beating his toughest opponent to date. On his current run, the 31-year-old bantamweight has turned away Jay Perrin, Brian Kelleher, Benito Lopez, Guido Cannetti, Da’Mon Blackshear, Ricky Simon, and now Aldo.
Aldo, 38, stepped away from the UFC in 2022 to pursue boxing competition. After a 2-0-1 run, Aldo returned at UFC 301 in May, where he picked up a unanimous decision win over Jonathan Martinez. Unfortunately for “The King of Rio,” he exits Utah just one scorecard shy of a victory.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 307 results include:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
