UFC 329: Mario Bautista post-fight interview

Mario, congratulations on an incredible victory in an incredible fight on a massive card. I guess just talk to me right now how you're feeling about this whole experience and your performance tonight. It was a crazy experience, you know, walking out there. It was a big crowd fighting against Corey Sanhagen. Getting that rematch win, just something I manifested for years. That's wild to me, bro. It's kind of, it's wild. It's wild. I kind of wondered, I mean, so you mentioned it right at the top, the rematch, right? But I don't know, it almost didn't even feel like a rematch you guys fought so long ago. It's really just a battle of two top contenders, right? So were you looking at this more of like, hey, this is a battle for position and, you know, potential title shots? Or did that rematch still mean something personal to you? No, it did mean something personal to me. That's the only one that's kind of like itched at me a little bit. You know, that's something, I like to be prepared for fights, you know, and that's not how I imagined my debut to go. But it just so happened to be in such a big fight for a top spot, you know, getting a win over him, chasing him down. So it's just crazy how it all worked out. No doubt. It was a spectacular fight. You injured him early on with the knee and I saw you point at it. You're like, I kind of know. So you knew right away. Did that impact at all how you approached the rest of the fight or you just filed that away and not worry about it? No, I knew it would open up more strikes for me because, you know, I was trying to land some leg kicks and everything to kind of slow him down. But I just happened to kind of hurt his leg with that stretch. So it all worked out, you know. But yeah, it kind of slowed him down. So I was able to land bigger shots and, you know, catch him later on. Yeah. Nevertheless, even though he was hurt, he wasn't done, right? He's a warrior out there. So I guess what was your thought going into round three knowing, you know, maybe he's injured, but he put on a great fight. It's a dangerous guy. Yeah, I knew leading into the third, it could be one-one maybe. So and like I said in there, like that third round is going to be mine. I'm going to give it my all for that third round. There's nothing else afterwards, right? So I might as well give it my all. So it's always going to be mine, I believe. So I went out there and did just that. I think that was a spectacular fireworks display to celebrate your win there, I believe is what we're hearing in the background. That's for me. Last thing for me, I mean, I'm sure you want to enjoy this, but I mean, you're right at the top of the division. You just beat one of the top contenders. I mean, you've been right there. Do you see the path? Like, is there a fight specifically that makes sense next? Or do you see the path to the top? I'm not too sure who. I know there's some fights that are going to happen here pretty soon. So we'll see how everything gets shaken up. But hopefully I can fight for the belt or the number one contender, you know, at the very least, you know, and we'll see by maybe the end of this year, early next year. So we'll see how things get shaken up. Mario, do you feel almost like, I feel like if if Pachy had beaten you, he would have gotten the title. If Jose Aldo had beaten you, he probably would have got the title shot. And I guess, are you surprised that it hasn't been you? Like, it feels like everyone there, they want to use you as the stepping stone, you knock them down, but you're not getting those same opportunities that we're assuming everyone else would get. It can be frustrating sometimes. But I think my whole life, like things have always like been like the hard way, the hard route. I'm willing to do that. You know, I'll fly under the radar, I'll be the dark horse. I'm ten and one in my last, you know, my last fights. So I don't know, we'll see. Maybe it's up to me to make some changes, be a little bit more, you know, get a little bit more popular somehow. I don't know, get on Instagram, whatever I need to do, I guess. But in the meantime, I'm just going to keep winning. That's all I can do. Do you feel like, though, the way you approach the fight and the way you are fighting, that the fans are starting to maybe come around? Like, I remember when Murad was coming up, everyone started to get behind him because they're like, he's putting in the work, not getting the opportunities. It seems like you're kind of filling that void now. Yeah, it's getting there, especially after, especially coming off that Umar loss, especially it being a loss. There's kind of a change in the fans. And I think they kind of see my effort, my style, just digging deep, you know, being like that kind of underdog. So I think it resonates with a lot of people. And I'll just continue to be just that, I guess. Mario, did you watch the main event at all? Did you see kind of the unfortunate way that ended? I seen a little bit. I heard he kind of did like a flying skip knee kind of thing and landed and buckled his knee. It's unfortunate, you know, it's unfortunate. Obviously, it seems like the UFC is just going to book the trilogy fight between Murad and Piotr Jan to kind of settle that whole thing. How do you see that one going? Because you're going to be pretty much right in line to fight one of those guys. So if you had to put your analyst hat on, how do you think that plays out? It's hard because, you know, when they had their rematch this last fight, you know, Murad was just super active fighting, fighting back to back, fighting four times like within a year. So maybe this layoff is good for him. And we'll see how this fight goes. So it should be interesting. Mario, just one more. There's rumors that Noche might be in Glendale, Arizona this year. Is that something you would be interested in headlining in your backyard, essentially? Or would that be kind of a lot of outside noise fighting so close to home? I'd have to see. I'd have to see if someone like above me in the rankings would want to take that. You know, I wouldn't want to fight someone below me just to take up that spot. I also don't really speak too much Spanish, so I'm not too sure how that will go. In a month. Sorry, but happy belated birthday and congratulations on a great win tonight. I wanted to ask you, the last time I spoke to you, I was really impressed by your humility and your willingness to learn. We were speaking about your defeat to Umar and, you know, you showed a great growth mindset. And I thought tonight that you probably delivered your most impressive and complete performance. Would you agree with that? Yes. Yeah, I would say, you know, this was a big one. This was the one I've talked about for years. So it came like, am I ready to show up, you know? And I was. The narrative for me now coming out of that fight, just when I'm mulling it over in my head, is that Corey Sandhagen has been right there many times, but hasn't managed to cross that divide. I think looking at how quickly you're developing, you're hitting the level he's at, but you look like you're still on an upward trajectory. And I think that could be the way that, that to me suggests that you might be the guy that makes that next step into that bracket. I presume you'd be looking along those lines too. Absolutely. I'm just going to keep on training, keep on getting better. This is very motivational for me to get this win. And I'm so close, I'm closer than I've ever been. So I'm going to continue to get better. And surely doing it on one of the biggest cards of the year cannot do to your chances any harm in that respect. Yeah, it was great. Congrats, brother. Mario, just a quick one. I know you've been very vocal about wanting this rematch with Corey. Does it feel how you expected to get the win over him? Yeah, I knew it would be super tough. I knew it wouldn't be easy. It would not be easy. It was tough. It was gritty. And I'm happy with my performance. I'm glad I got the win. It's off my shoulders, off my chest, and I can continue to go forward. Congrats. Thank you.