Bantamweights
NR | Mario Bautista (8-2, 2-2 UFC) vs. NR | Jay Perrin (10-4, 0-0 UFC)ODDS: N/A
Less than two years into his career at the time, Bautista certainly got thrown into the deep end for his late-notice UFC debut, losing a fun sprint to Cory Sandhagen on the UFC’s first card of 2019. After establishing his action credentials with a war against Jin Soo Son, Bautista has gone on to show himself as a promising if inconsistent prospect, suddenly knocking out Miles Johns, only to suffer a similar fate against Trevin Jones in his most recent fight. After some late changes, he will take on a UFC newcomer and Dana White’s Contender Series alum in Perrin, who also figures to bring the action. New England’s Perrin lost his 2019 bout on DWCS in somewhat controversial fashion, controlling most of his fight against Dwight Joseph but still losing the scorecards due to his counterpart’s moments of offense. Perrin is a well-rounded fighter who looks to be at his best on the mat, but he could struggle to find some footing in a division as deep as bantamweight. He is not an overwhelming athlete, so he can be overpowered, and he does slow down the stretch, albeit with a willingness to work through the exhaustion. Each man has an aggressive and go-anywhere style that makes this a contender for best fight of the night and a difficult one to call, but the edge goes to Bautista as the fighter more proven to keep a pace over the course of three rounds. The pick is Bautista via decision.