José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista pick, start time, odds: UFC 307

José Aldo and Mario Bautista will meet on Saturday on the main card of UFC 307 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event: 2-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 81-72-3

José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 preview

Aldo’s retirement tour continues, and the former featherweight king has his sights set on the bantamweight crown. But to be considered, Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) will have to dispatch Bautista (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who is ranked one spot behind him at No. 11 in the official rankings. of UFC. classifications. … Aldo returned from a nearly two-year hiatus from MMA last February with an excellent performance in a unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Martinez. … Bautista has been on a roll for the past two years, having won six fights in a row. He is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Ricky Simon last January.

José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 expert pick, prediction

A fun fight between Aldo and Bautista serves as an action-packed offering at bantamweight.

Despite this being Aldo’s 20th time out of retirement, the former featherweight champion and pound-for-pound GOAT has looked incredible in this latest late-career revival.

Bautista, on the other hand, is an MMA Lab product that I and many others have had our eye on for some time now. Although Bautista initially burst onto the scene as a flashy stance-shifting striker, the veteran Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt has found solid success by integrating more wrestling into his approach.

That said, with Aldo using his vaunted takedown defense to possibly beat now-champion Merab Dvalishvili the last time he fought in Utah, I have a hard time doubting the Brazilian legend, even at this point in his career.

I won’t be surprised if Bautista can make a decision, but I’ll pick Aldo to find an empathic counter that leads to a Round 2 stoppage.

Previous odds for José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307

Bettors and the public are slightly favoring the American fighter, listing Bautista -150 and Aldo +118 via FanDuel.

José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 start time, how to watch

As a featured fight, Aldo and Bautista are expected to take to the cage at approximately 11:15 p.m. ET (9:15 p.m. locally in Salt Lake City). The fight will be broadcast on ESPN+.