Bautista Submitted Oliveira to Rebound in His First UFC Main Event
Mario Bautista submitted Vinicius Oliveira with a rear-naked choke at 4:46 of round two on February 7, 2026, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The bantamweight headliner ended with Bautista controlling the finishing sequence on the ground.
The matchup and opening exchanges
Both men were making their first appearance as UFC main-event fighters. Bautista sought to recover from the defeat to Umar Nurmagomedov that had ended his eight-fight winning streak. Oliveira offered an aggressive opponent for that comeback assignment.
The opening round included clinch exchanges before Bautista established top position late. That provided an early indication of the grappling approach that would become decisive as the contest continued.
How the contest developed
In the second round, Bautista changed levels underneath an attack and completed a takedown. Trips and mat returns prevented Oliveira from escaping the sustained wrestling pressure, while Bautista continued advancing through increasingly threatening positions.
A crucifix allowed Bautista to land strikes before he moved through a kimura threat and onto the back. He then secured the choke that forced Oliveira to submit shortly before the round expired.
The official outcome
The official result was a submission rather than a decision or striking stoppage. After losing his previous outing, Bautista returned to the win column with a finish achieved through positional control and a completed choke.
Sources
Article Tags
Mario Bautista, Vinicius Oliveira, UFC, MMA
