Mario Bautista is fully aware of what he’s dealing with in Jose Aldo at UFC 307, and he won’t let any mental obstacles get in the way of achieving victory.
Bautista (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) said he was “super excited” when the phone rang with what would be the biggest opportunity of his career so far. After putting together six consecutive wins in the bantamweight division, he draws UFC Hall of Famer Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) at UFC 307, which takes place Oct. 5 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
“Big name, big challenge, and a win over someone like Jose in this division – it shoots you up the rankings, and you become known to a lot of people after a fight like that,” Bautista told MMA Junkie Radio. “That’s what I was excited about. I was pushing for a fight against Rob Font, and then I just kind of forgot about it. I was ready for any fight. So when they gave me Jose, I was like, ‘I’m glad I waited and stayed patient.'”
