It appears the UFC community hasn`t quite forgiven Mario Bautista for his victory over the legendary Jose Aldo.
This leading contender in the UFC bantamweight division boasts the second-longest active winning streak, with 8 consecutive wins, surpassed only by the champion, Merab Dvalishvili (13). Mario Bautista`s record in the UFC improved to 10-2 after a decisive victory by decision against Bellator champion Patchy Mix at UFC 316 this past Saturday.
Despite defeating Mix in an engaging striking contest, Bautista wasn`t met with universal acclaim in Newark, New Jersey. The crowd booed him, likely a reaction to his previous fight at UFC 307, where he secured a controversial decision win against the popular veteran Jose Aldo.
Among the thirteen fighters who won at UFC 316, Bautista noted it felt “strange” that he was the only one not given a post-fight interview by Joe Rogan.
Mario Bautista on Being Denied a Post-Fight Interview
Bautista discussed the unusual interview situation days after his win while appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“A little bit [surprised],” Bautista commented regarding being the sole winner overlooked for an interview at UFC 316.
“Afterwards, I was just thinking, man, I did everything… I did the exact opposite of what I did to Aldo. I held Aldo. Now, I fought Patchy, and I stood up with him the whole time and it still didn’t seem good enough.”
He speculated on the reasons: “I don’t know if it’s a UFC thing. I don’t know if it was a [Donald] Trump time delay, whatever it was.”
“It was a little bit weird,” Bautista reiterated. “Now that I think of it, I’m just thinking, man, that’s kinda messed up. Even if I wanted to cut a promo, they didn’t even give me the chance to do that.”
Mario Bautista on Being Booed at UFC 316: `I Can`t Make Any of These People Happy`
The 31-year-old delivered one of his most impressive career performances, outboxing Mix for three rounds at UFC 316.
Bautista landed a career-high 173 significant strikes on Mix, significantly affecting the face of the former 20-1 Bellator bantamweight champion.
Despite his dominant performance, Bautista still faced boos from the New Jersey audience.
“I noticed it in the fight while I’m standing up with this guy the whole time, and they’re booing,” Bautista stated.
“In my mind, I’m thinking, damn, I can’t make any of these people happy.”
He mused whether the negative crowd reaction might have been why he wasn`t interviewed by Rogan: “Maybe they just didn’t wanna hear the boos afterwards.”
