Mario Bautista

Mario Bautista is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division of the UFC.

Bautista was born and raised in Winnemucca, Nevada, where he began wrestling at age 14 and competed for Lowry High School before shifting his focus to jiu-jitsu. He turned professional in 2017 and relocated to Arizona, where he has trained at the MMA Lab under head coach John Crouch.

Bautista holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Crouch, pairing that grappling pedigree with the wrestling base he built as a teenager to form a well-rounded foundation.

Inside the cage, Bautista is known for blending sharp, creative striking with a slick, submission-heavy ground game. He has finished opponents by both knockout and submission, with a particular knack for the rear-naked choke, making him a threat capable of ending a fight wherever it goes.

Bautista made his UFC debut on short notice opposite Cory Sandhagen, then earned his first promotional win in a Fight of the Night effort against Son Jin-soo. A Performance of the Night flying-knee knockout of Miles Johns at UFC 247 signaled his finishing ability, and after weathering a setback against Trevin Jones, he strung together one of the longest winning streaks in UFC bantamweight division history. Along the way he collected bonus-earning performances against Benito Lopez and Vinicius Oliveira, along with notable victories over Ricky Simón, Brian Kelleher, Guido Cannetti, and Da'Mon Blackshear. That run reached a defining moment with a split-decision win over UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo at UFC 307, and he further padded his résumé by spoiling the UFC debut of former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix at UFC 316.

Stats last updated: August 09, 2026