His striking and controlled pressure had already hit Oliveira’s gas tank in the first round. And, with the Brazilian slowing and turning to his grappling in a bid to take control, he unwittingly entered Bautista’s world, and had to tap his way out.
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The finish, a slick sequence that saw Bautista transition through a succession of submission techniques before locking up the fight-ending rear-naked choke, was a thing of beauty, and showcased just how dangerous the 32-year-old is on the ground.
It was an outstanding performance from Bautista, who bounced back from his decision loss to Umar Nurmagomedov last October, and showed the world that he’s still very much a factor in the bantamweight top 10.
Kyoji Horiguchi
Tasked with defeating a fighter with just three career losses and zero defeats by finish, Kyoji Horiguchi probably had a feeling he was in for a long night against Amir Albazi. But the Japanese star still managed to produce a performance that enhanced his already sky-high credentials as he looks to position himself for a title shot later this year.
Horiguchi was as quick as a hiccup, and constantly had Albazi on the back foot. It felt like whenever Horiguchi decided to launch an attack, he was always one step ahead. The only thing missing from his performance was a finish, and the absence of a knockout or submission left Horiguchi a little disappointed when he gave his post-fight interview with Paul Felder in the Octagon.