Mario Bautista put the UFC Bantamweight division on high alert this weekend after he ended Vinicius Oliveira’s winning streak en-route to victory at UFC Vegas 113 in the main event on Sunday morning.
With both fighters aiming to put themselves among the mix of Bantamweight title contenders, it was Bautista who came out on top against a hard-hitting Oliveira.
Scheduled for five rounds at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, it took Bautista just two rounds to get over the fighter known as ‘Lok Dog’.
Bautista applied pressure from the first buzzer as Oliveira battled to get into rhythm throughout the first round. The winner made his intentions known by going for takedowns early in the fight, while Olveira responded with brash exchanges that proved to be futile.
In Round 2, it was Oliveira who changed levels with a take down, which was expertly reversed by Bautista who then gained top control. With Olveira in a crucifix position, Bautista began to unload on his opponent.
Then, following an attempt to break free, Oliveira exposed his back afterwhich Bautista swiftly entered a rear-naked choke position as the Brazilian tapped instantly.
Speaking after the fight, Bautista expressed that he faced anxiety before the fight, given Oliveira’s wild fighting style.
“It went as good as it could be,” Bautista said in his UFC post-fight interview.
“I planned everything out perfect, reminded myself, training went perfect, I did everything that I could.
“Before the fight, you have this anxiety because you’ve seen his highlights, he’s knocking people out.
“I thought, just go out there and have fun, wherever this fight goes. You know what you can do, you have all the tools to get yourself out of trouble and it turned out good for me”.
In the Flyweight division, Kyoji Horiguchi defeated Amir Albazi by unanimous decision in the Co-main event.
Horiguchi showcased his experience inside the octagon and fought on the front foot for much of the three-rounder. The 35-year-old managed to stun and cut his opponent in the second-round and opened up a major gap in contention during the third round.
Then, in one of the most exciting fights on the card, Dustin Jacoby defeated Julius Walker by TKO in the Light Heavyweight division.
While Walker enjoyed massive takedowns in the first round, it was Jacoby who let his hands go at the beginning of the second round before clipping his competitor before chasing him down for the finish.
UFC VEGAS 113 MAIN CARD RESULTS:
Main Event: Mario Bautista defeated Vinicius Oliveira by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, at 4:46.
Kyoji Horiguchi defeated Amir Albazi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Rizvan Kuniev defeated Jailton Almeida by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).
Michal Oleksiejczuk defeated Marc-Andre Barriault by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Farid Basharat (29-28, 29-28) defeated Jean Matsumoto by split decision (29-28).
Dustin Jacoby defeated Julius Walker by TKO (strikes), Round 2, at 1:42.