It should have been the most important win of his professional career to date, but Mario Bautista's split decision victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 307 last October appears to have tarnished his reputation in the eyes of many fans.
Bautista (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) broke into the top 10 of the UFC bantamweight rankings following the win in Salt Lake City, marking his seventh straight victory at 135 pounds.
However, it was the manner of the victory that drew the ire of the fanbase. Bautista pressed former UFC featherweight champion Aldo (32-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) against the fence for large portions of the fight, and his lack of activity over the course of 15 minutes led to boos echoing throughout the Delta Center.
Ahead of his next fight against Marlon Vera (23-10-1 MMA, 15-9 UFC) at UFC 316 next month, Bautista has been reflecting on that performance and believes Aldo should shoulder part of the blame for the fight’s lack of entertainment value.
“I was listening to Joe Rogan and Ilia Topuria (on Joe’s) podcast the other day, (Topuria) was talking about it and then he was talking about people getting up off the mat", Bautista said this week during an interview with Home of Fight. "You know, being held down and I get it. Like from a fan's perspective, and like the sport. But as a fighter, you can't let anyone hold you down or hold you against the cage, you know? These are things I learned before I turned pro, you know? With my coaches and stuff we have ways about getting up, circling off the cage and so for Aldo just to stay there at this level.
“And I'm not the first person to do that to him, you know? So for him not to learn and make some changes, I don't know. Like I've been saying, that's on him too, you know? So, yeah, I think it's a very important part, clinch, getting up off the mat. You've got to be able to turn the table and get yourself out of those positions.”
