LAS VEGAS – Mario Bautista impressed many in his most recent fight.
The UFC bantamweight dismantled Benito Lopez in just one round at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 214. Bautista (11-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) submitted Lopez (10-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) with a reverse triangle-armbar in the final seconds of the round after outclassing Lopez both on the feet and the ground.
Bautista expected that kind of showing, and he got a big tell the day before at weigh-ins, where Lopez was 2.5 pounds over the limit.
“I expected that,” Lopez told reporters afterward. “Once I saw him miss weight, I kind of put it in my head that he’s not professional. And that kind of stems into everything – training, life. So I knew I was on another level than him.”
Lopez is now on a three fight wining streak and 5-1 in his past six outings. The 29-year-old belives it’s time for him to get an opponent with a number next to their name.
“I want to shoot for 11 through 15,” Lopez said regarding wanting ranked opposition. “I don’t want to callout anyone because those rankings are ever-changing, you know. I can callout someone and next month they get kicked out, and I just called out someone that’s not in the top 15. So shooting for top 15, if I get somewhere close to it, I’ll be happy with that.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 214.
