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.
UFC’s Mario Bautista knew he was ‘on another level’ than Benito Lopez, wants top-15 opponent next