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  Debate

Debate

Did Mario Bautista's 'stalling' tactics tarnish his win over Jose Aldo, or was it strategic genius?

Well, it was on Alex Pereira to save the UFC 307 card, which many fans believed was a weaker one compared to the previous PPVs. As expected, ‘Poatan’ put on a classic performance against a tough Khalil Rountree Jr. However, one of the biggest talking points from the first PPV of October was the 135lbs clash between Mario Bautista and former featherweight king, Jose Aldo. That fight upset Dana White a lot, which was apparent from his post-fight reaction.

The fans and UFC head honcho complained that there was a lot of stalling going on from Mario Bautista’s end during the Jose Aldo fight. After the 28-year-old recorded a split-decision win, the UFC CEO took issue with the decision and called it “Bullsh-t!” Even Conor McGregor didn’t spare Bautista, and now former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub believes that although it wasn’t a robbery, the bantamweight star could face the fury of White.

“Bautista didn’t win any fans, you know. That’s not gonna help him move up the ladder because Dana goes, ‘Okay, you just took to beat Jose, who’s a legend, [and] you’re just going to hold him against the cage? Okay, you’re playing the game? Okay.’ Then watch,” Brendan Schaub stated on ‘The Fighter and The Kid’.

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As such, Schaub claims that Bautista’s next fight could be the toughest one yet for him, and that could put his positioning in the division in a tricky place. “They’re not going to reward him [in his] next fight. You’re gonna get yours,” the former UFC fighter added. We can’t know for sure if that’s what Dana White has in mind for Bautista after his UFC 307 win, but things are looking bright for the 28-year-old as he moves up in the rankings.

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Despite warning about repercussions from Dana White, Mario Bautista breaks into the top 10

Getting into the top 10 is always a big achievement in the UFC, and after five years of competing under Dana White’s promotion’s banner, Mario Bautista has finally done it. Before the Aldo fight, the Winnemucca native was placed 11th in the bantamweight rankings. But his biggest career win at UFC 307 helped him jump two places up and now, he sits at the 9th spot. Moreover, Bautista’s also riding high with a 7-fight winning streak, which is the second-longest active winning streak after division crown holder Merab Dvalishvili.

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Despite what people had to say about his ‘stalling’ tactics at UFC 307, Bautista stands firm on his approach in the fight against ‘The King of Rio’ and has even clapped back at Conor McGregor for his comments as well. “Conor can kiss my a– and he can fight whenever he’s supposed to take the fight against [Michael] Chandler. Shut up,” Bautista stated after his fight last weekend.

What’s your perspective on:

Did Mario Bautista's 'stalling' tactics tarnish his win over Jose Aldo, or was it strategic genius?

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What do you think will be the course of action for Dana White next? Will he punish Mario Bautista? Drop your comments below.

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