Mario Bautista calls for big showdown with Umar Nurmagomedov
UFC contender Mario Bautista has called for a showdown with Umar Nurmagomedov after defeating Patchy Mix.
At UFC 316, Mario Bautista defeated Patchy Mix in the latter’s promotional debut. It served as a real coming of age moment for Mario who, up to this point, hadn’t been getting a whole lot of notice or respect from casual MMA fans. Alas, it’s hard to deny that he’s a top contender now, and he’s ready to try and make a push for the title at 135 pounds.
RELATED: UFC 316 Results: Mario Bautista defeats Patchy Mix (Highlights)
Even after beating Mix, Bautista didn’t receive a post-fight interview on the UFC 316 broadcast. A lot of hardcore fans were upset by this, nothing that Mario put forward one of the best performances of the night – and of his career. Alas, he didn’t quite make the cut this time.
He did, however, take part in an interview recently, during which Bautista spoke about the lack of an in-cage chat, as well as who he wants to fight next.
Bautista discusses his future
“Maybe I was thinking like we go in the back and they say something like, ‘We apologize because of this time delay,’ or this and that or whatever it is. It could have been anything. It could have been, ‘Hey man, we just don’t like you, we just don’t want you on the mic,’ you know? You could have told me whatever and I would have been happy, as long as you told me something. But I haven’t heard anything.”
“I wanted to get into that top five. Whoever was going to be in that top five—a win over any of them gets me into title contention… I like that Umar (Nurmagomedov) fight.”
“I like the Umar one. I think that one shoots me to the top the quickest. You know, I was gonna fight Chito—he’s coming off two losses. I guess Umar is coming off a loss too… There’s still a lotta hype.”
Quotes via Cageside Press
