UFC Vegas 113 was all about elite grappling, tactical domination, and statements inside the newly opened META Apex as Mario Bautista and Kyoji Horiguchi stole the night in the bantamweight and flyweight divisions.
Mario Bautista Overwhelms Vinicius Oliveira with Ruthless Submission Victory
Mario Bautista kicked UFC Vegas 113 off with a flourish as the welterweight contender showed dominance in action against Vinicius Oliveira at the top of the card. The American bantamweight used rousing wrestling, dominant control, and world-class jiu-jitsu en route to a rear-naked choke finish.
From the opening seconds, Bautista established his terms in the fight. While Bautista seemed to withstand Oliveira’s initial striking attempts, including a probing front kick, he launched Oliveira towards the cage, forcing a trading of grappling positions in close quarters. While Oliveira displayed excellent defensive wrestling in the early going, Bautista’s aggressiveness ultimately paid off.
Towards the end of the first round, Bautista took Oliveira down effortlessly and controlled him in butterfly guard. While Oliveira went for a reckless heel hook, Bautista was not fazed, thus countering with precise ground and pound and dominating the round.
Second-Round Finish Seals Statement Win
Entering the second round, Oliveira made a strong push to step up the pace of his striking attacks, but he soon ran out of energy. Bautista stopped Oliveira’s momentum in his tracks with another devastating takedown.
Oliveira, however, despite delivering what would be considered a solid strike, looked visibly gassed out, with hands dropped and shoulders slumped, gazing at the clock. Noticing the mistake, Bautista pounced. With just 15 seconds left in the round, he caught Oliveira in a tight rear-naked choke, forcing the tap and spoiling the undefeated UFC appearance of Oliveira.
The victory will allow Bautista to retain his No. 9 position in the bantamweight division, avenge his memory of losing to Umar Nurmagomedov, and reassert his place as one of the best weight-class fighters at 135 pounds.
Bautista Calls Out Cory Sandhagen After UFC Vegas 113 Win
Following the fight, Bautista credited his evolution on the ground and made his intentions clear.
“It’s all because of my jiu-jitsu. I’ve made some changes, but my grappling is spectacular. I want to get back into the top five Cory Sandhagen is next. I want that rematch,” Bautista said in his post-fight interview with Paul Felder.
Kyoji Horiguchi Dominates Amir Albazi in Flyweight Co-Main Event
The co-main event in UFC Vegas 113 saw Kyoji Horiguchi announce his presence with a powerful unanimous decision win in his second bout since his return to the octagon with a dominant victory over Amir Albazi.
Albazi had an easy start in Round 1, briefly knocking Horiguchi down with a sharp combination of boxing techniques. However, the Japanese fighter quickly adjusted and was not willing to lose another round.
Elite Striking and Octagon Control Secure Unanimous Decision
Rounds two and three fully belonged to Horiguchi. He took center octagon, applied pressure, and simply overwhelmed Albazi with fast, explosive combinations. Horiguchi did not allow any grappling exchanges and kept the fight standing, where his speed and precision made a difference.
By the time the final horn sounded, Albazi had no answers for what was a relentless pace by Horiguchi coupled with his technical superiority to take the unanimous decision victory.
What’s Next After UFC Vegas 113?
Since Joshua Van is the current undisputed champ at flyweight with Alexandre Pantoja injured, Horiguchi’s performance puts him in contention for big fights at 125 pounds.
In the meantime, the dominant submission win by Mario Bautista sends a message to the bantamweight elite that he is back, dangerous, and ready for top-five competition.
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