Mario Bautista prepared for war at UFC 259, eyeing Sandhagen rematch
Interview with Mario Bautista above
Mario Bautista is healthy and looking to continue the impressive run he has created. Since losing his UFC debut, to Cory Sandhagen, Bautista has rattled off 2 key victories, including a 2nd round flying knee victory at UFC 247. When it comes to opponents, Bautista fears no one, and has another tough opponent on the horizon, Trevin Jones.
“Everyone in the UFC is tough,” Bautista stated. “Trevin Jones doesn’t have an amazing record but he is very good, very dangerous, he has beaten some good people. Everyone in the division is pretty tough, anyone I match up with will be a tough fight.”
Bautista is part of the ever deep bantamweight division, and at only 27 years old, has his sights on a ranking within the year. It will be an MMA Lab party at UFC 259, as teammates such as Casey Kenney will be competing on the same card. Bautista raved about his training partners and coaches.
“Working with the older generation,” Bautista began laughing. “Benson [Henderson] has always been in my corner, amateur and pro fights. Jared Cannonier tore his pec a month before I did, so I followed his lead,” Bautista continued. “I’m just always learning from these guys.”
Bautista admits he won’t be chasing the KO on fight night, but will have his eyes peeled for the chance to steal the show. Prepared for a war, and not overlooking Trevin Jones, Bautista admits a Sandhagen rematch is something that he would lobby for.
“If everything goes the way I plan, I don’t want to progress through the division without going through him,” Bautista told MyMMANews. “I want to crack the top 15 by the end of the year and work my way up to him, I personally need to get passed him first.”
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