Mario Bautista Chases Career-Defining Moment Against Umar Nurmagomedov Ahead Of Bantamweight Clash In UFC 321

UFC 321: Aspinall vs. Gane will be a starry night in Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena, where MMA titans will seek glory inside the octagon. Bantamweight fighter Mario Bautista is looking to push boundaries and chase a victory against the ruthless Umar Nurmagomedov.

It is not just a regular fight for Mario Bautista; it will be a defining moment in his career in the bantamweight division. The 32-year-old is riding on a solid win streak and is embracing the spotlight.

But Umar Nurmagomedov's name carries significant weight, and it would be a test for the American MMA fighter.

The Mario Bautista Exclusive: UFC Fighter Chases Statement Win, But Umar Nurmagomedov Stands in the Way

Republic World sat down with UFC bantamweight fighter Mario Bautista ahead of his fight against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 321: Aspinall vs. Gane at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Mario Bautista was calm yet confident ahead of the big-money fight. The win streak makes him a favourite pick, and his grappling and takedown strength are immense. An improved fight IQ would give him a significant advantage in the clash as well.

We also dove into certain aspects of Mario Bautista's overall MMA career, his dream matches and life outside the octagon. It will be a high-paced technical battle between the two inside the octagon.

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The Following Are Excerpts Taken From The Interview

Q1: You've shown really impressive evolution in your grappling. What changes have you made in your training to elevate that part of your game recently? 

Um, you know, just always working on it. You know, I feel like I've always worked on my grappling. Lately, I feel like we've had some of the younger guys come in, and just they're... um, you know, they just wanna learn more, you know?

And so them going out and learning and bringing it back to the gym or having... You know, you're always adapting to them. So I think, uh... I think that's what's been helping me out. 

Q2: Fans have noticed your improved fight IQ. How much of that comes from watching tape versus live sparring adjustments in the gym?

A lot of it's came from tape. You kind of see, you watch, like, the best guys and the adjustments they make and the decisions they make. Um, so you try to replicate that in practice.

And then also just having that experience being in the UFC and having these high-level fights. Sh- you know, you just go into these with full confidence from your training, and it's been working out for me. 

Q3: Your next fight's going to be against, against Umar. What's your opinion of him as a fighter? 

I think he's a great fighter. You know, I think he comes from a great gym, um, a great team. Um, and I have noth- nothing, nothing bad to say. I think, I think he's a great fighter, and so I'm excited about it. 

Q4: Do you have anything special or any game plan you want to share ahead of time? 

Oh, nothing. I'm just gonna go out and do my best, like always, you know. And it's been working out for me, so, um, noth- nothing crazy. Nothing crazy, so yeah. 

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Q5: With the bantamweight division stacked with so much talent right now, it's one of the hottest divisions we've got, uh, how are you mentally preparing to stand out and climb the rankings to get to that title shot? 

That's what I'm looking to do in this fight, you know. I need to have a great performance to make myself stick out from the rest of these top five guys that are just waiting to get that title shot.

I think I have a great opportunity otherwise. If Merab wins, it's just gonna be a lot of rematches. So I have a great opportunity to get this win and, uh, shake things up. 

Q6: Do you have any- anything, um, mentally that you do, any practices that keep you strong through the ups and downs of the games and just basically to, to stay at the highest level? 

A lot of visualising, especially to the lead-up of the fight, you know. Um, and then just grounding myself mentally, you know, doing little meditations here and there, and just telling myself, like, I... that I've done the training, I've done the work, um, and whatever happens out there, it's a gamble.

I understand that anything can happen out there. So as long as you have that understanding, you out there and you, and you do your best, there's nothing... I have, like, no emotion or anything behind this. So win, lose, or draw, I just know I gave it my best. 

Q7: A few questions about, basically, overall about MMA and your career and going forward. Who has been your toughest opponent so far, and what did you learn the most from it? 

I feel like I have, like, key, key fights that taught me a lot. I think in my last, my last fight that did that for me was against, uh, Ricky Simon. Sh- you know, a guy that's known for keeping a high pace, keeping the pressure and breaking people and having great wrestling.

So, leading into that fight, I just was able to break him mentally. You know, have him look up at the clock. Uh, so it gave me a lot of confidence in my training, um, just knowing whatever mindset I have and how hard I push myself, um, that it is the highest level, and I could break someone that's known for breaking people. So I'd say that was my last one. 

Q8: What's a dream matchup for you, if you could fight anybody, anytime, anywhere? 

A dream matchup for me. Um... I think it would have to be the Merab fight, right? That, that's a dream matchup 'cause then it's for the belt. So, yeah, I'm just gonna keep dreaming and keep manifesting that and keep pulling it to me. 

Q9: He's pretty active this year, so I guess you're gonna see a lot of tape on him and be able to make adjustments getting to that fight. 

Oh, yeah. There... Oh, there's endless footage of him in there, so, yeah, it'll be good. 

Q10: If you could headline a UFC card anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? 

I think one that'd be pretty cool for me is if they made a UFC Reno, 'cause I don't think they've ever been to Reno before. Um, it's in, in my home state. It's two hours away from my hometown.

So I think it'd be pretty cool. And you could have Peyton Talbot on, on the undercard as well too 'cause he's from Reno. So, I think that'd be pretty cool. I think they're building a new arena there too. So, maybe that's something I could think about. 

Q11: Outside of the octagon, give us a little bit about yourself and your personality. What's, like, a hobby or interest that you do between fights, between camps, that keeps you grounded and happy? 

I really don't, don't do too much, you know. I mean, lately, just having a little bit more money and a little bit more time, like, you just take a little bit more vacations. Um, you know, I just do a few different things, vacations, hanging out with family.

There was a period where I bought an old Silverado truck, and I was fixing it up for a little bit, just being, like, a self mechanic, but that ends up being, like, a money pit.

So, just little things like that, you know. I kind of change it up. But for the most part, MMA takes up a lot of my time, you know. So I really don't have much, but as soon as I'm done, I'll have a lot more time to do other things. 

Tune-In: Watch UFC 321 - Aspinall vs. Gane on 25th October 2025 from 11:30 PM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil & Telugu)