Cody Garbrandt vs. Mario Bautista targeted for Aug. 19 UFC event

Mario Bautista got his wish.

The bantamweight called out former champion Cody Garbrandt in March following his submission win over Guido Cannetti at UFC Fight Night 221. Fast-forward a little more than a month and the two now now targeted to fight at a UFC event on Aug. 19.

The news was confirmed by MMA Junkie with people with knowledge of the matchup following a Friday from MMA Fighting. The venue and location for the event has yet to be announced by the UFC.

Garbrandt (13-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) recently returned to competition after 15 months of inactivity. He defeated Trevin Jones in a unanimous decision at UFC 285 in March. The victory got Garbrandt back in the win column after back-to-back losses to Rob Font and Kai Kara-France. The 31-year-old currently is 2-5 in his seven most recent performances.

Bautista’s (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) win over Cannetti put him on a four-fight winning streak, which includes submission wins over Brian Kelleher and Benito Lopez. Bautista, 29, hasn’t lost since 2021 when he was stopped by Jones, Garbrandt’s last opponent.