Mario Bautista shot his shot with former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo, and it didn’t go in addition to he in all probability hoped it might.
Bautista is coming off the largest win of his profession towards former featherweight champ Jose Aldo at UFC 307 in October, however it wasn’t a victory that was critically acclaimed from the MMA group — though, it was a really sensible sport plan from the surging bantamweight contender. Since getting back from retirement, Cejudo has misplaced a title battle to then-champ Aljamain Sterling, after which a choice loss to the present 135-pound titleholder Merab Dvalishvili.
In a backstage second at Friday night time’s LFA 196 occasion in Phoenix captured by UFC light-weight Drakkar Klose, Bautista walked as much as Cejudo throughout an obvious meet-and-greet and known as for a matchup. Try Klose’s video beneath.
“Can I inform you one thing? You possibly can’t be so rattling boring although,” Cejudo informed Bautista. “No one’s going to battle you want that.”
“I wont be boring towards you,” Bautista responded.
“Pay attention, [I’m an] Olympic champ, flyweight champ, bantamweight champ, what have you ever achieved,” Cejudo requested.
“Two losses in a row [for you], seven-fight win streak [for me],” Bautista mentioned.
“However look who I misplaced to: At the moment, I misplaced to the present champ and the opposite man is now the previous champion. Are you going to f*cking nut seize? What are you going to do? Are you going to stay me towards the cage such as you did with Aldo,” Cejudo responded.
“I don’t suppose you’ll keep there [like Aldo did], however will probably be an thrilling [fight],” Bautista mentioned.
“I wont keep there,” Cejudo mentioned. “I had a gathering with Hunter [Campbell], and no matter Hunter needs, we are able to do it. Yeah, no matter Hunter needs as a result of, what? I needed [Sean] O’Malley. … There’s lots of people that I would like. You haven’t achieved something. You haven’t achieved something.”
“I beat Aldo,” Bautista mentioned.
As of now, neither fighter is booked for his or her subsequent octagon look. The matchup will surely make sense contemplating the place each guys are at in one of many deepest divisions within the sport. Bautista hasn’t misplaced since a surprising knockout courtesy of Trevin Jones at UFC 259 in March 2021.
Cejudo is without doubt one of the most achieved fight athletes of all-time. The 37-year-old received six-straight fights — together with successful the flyweight title towards Demetrious Johnson at UFC 227 in August 2018, after which successful the bantamweight title two fights later when he stopped Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 — earlier than asserting his retirement at UFC 249. “Triple C” stopped Dominick Cruz to retain the bantamweight title in Could 2020, the UFC’s first huge occasion again throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.