“It was on Aldo. It’s crazy that someone at his level would fight like that — that’s something I took away from the experience,” said Mario Bautista last year, looking back on his bantamweight clash with former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Fans widely criticized the bout, held at UFC 307, as “boring,” and although the American walked away with a split decision win and a spot in the top 10 rankings, he pointed the finger at ‘The King of Rio’ for the underwhelming action. Still, Bautista’s own performance didn’t escape scrutiny. He failed to land a single takedown out of 10 attempts, leading many to accuse him of relying on a “wall-and-stall” tactic — pressing Jose Aldo against the cage without doing much damage.
The fight, held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, quickly became a topic of debate in the MMA world. Several voices in the community, including lightweight Renato Moicano, argued that the veteran former champ had done enough to win. Some even labeled Bautista’s win a robbery. Now, as the American prepares for his next challenge at UFC 316 in June — a high-stakes matchup against #7-ranked Marlon “Chito” Vera — the controversy has resurfaced.
During a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Vera addressed the Aldo-Bautista debate and took aim at the judges rather than the fighters. “I honestly don’t think the problem is the fighters,” Marlon Vera said. “I really believe it’s the dinosaurs in charge of scoring. And I don’t blame a fighter for winning a decision that people didn’t agree with — it is what it is. That’s not on the fighter.”
Turning the focus to his upcoming fight, ‘Chito’ made it clear that he expects a gritty, grappling-heavy battle against Bautista — and he’s more than ready. “My opponent’s a good grappler, no doubt. Can he strike? Sure. It’s going to be a tough fight, 100%,” Vera explained. “But I’m not worried about defending takedowns. I’m just as good on the ground, and if we end up there, I’ll be ready.”
Vera didn’t shy away from what lay ahead. “My opponent’s a good grappler, no doubt. Can he strike? Sure. It’s going to be a tough fight, 100%. But I’m not worried about defending takedowns. I’m just as good on the ground, and if we end up there, I’ll be ready.”
“I don’t think the problem is the fighters. I really believe it is the dinosaurs in charge of scoring. I can’t hate on a fighter for winning a decision people thought they didn’t win.”
Marlon Vera on Mario Bautista’s win over Jose Aldo. pic.twitter.com/e4AF8AvvEB
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 22, 2025
But the upcoming bout between Vera and Bautista isn’t the only storyline stirring interest. Jose Aldo is also set for a high-profile return at UFC 315, as the promotion heads back to Montreal for the first time in over a decade. The 38-year-old Brazilian will face hometown favorite Aiemann Zahabi in a fight loaded with stakes and emotion. ‘Junior’, currently 1-2 in his last three appearances, briefly stepped away from MMA after his 2022 loss to Merab Dvalishvili. He came back with an impressive win over Jonathan Martinez, only to suffer a controversial defeat at the hands of Mario Bautista at UFC 307.
Despite the result, the former featherweight champion has remained a fan favorite — and even gained vocal support from fighters like Marlon Vera. Meanwhile, Bautista continues to face criticism for the way that fight played out. So, what kind of heat has Bautista been catching since that night in Salt Lake City? Let’s take a look.
Mario Bautista reveals the wild fan reactions following his win over Jose Aldo
Since Mario Bautista’s victory over Jose Aldo, he hasn’t received many positive comments. Fans criticized his approach during the fight, pointing out that he spent much of the time holding ‘Junior’ against the cage without landing significant damage. Fans and even Conor McGregor, who voiced his anger over the lack of action, shared this frustration. Many labeled the fight as “stalling,” and the Arizonian, in his defense, placed some of the blame on the former champion, claiming that the veteran wasn’t actively trying to escape.
In the aftermath of the fight, Mario Bautista faced backlash from fans, with some reactions crossing into threatening territory. Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA last year, Bautista opened up about the extent of the criticism, saying, “It ranges from ‘you lost me money’ to ‘it gets pretty bad, bro, I’m not going to lie. Some fans go as far as saying, ‘Oh, you should just off yourself, you need to go kill yourself,’ and things like that. It gets pretty crazy. So it ranges from that to, you know, ‘Congratulations, I thought you did a great job, you won that fight, don’t listen to these guys.’ It’s everything in between.”
What do you think about Marlon Vera’s comments? Do you agree that the “dinosaurs” in charge of the scorecards are more to blame for the outdated rules than the fighters themselves? Share your thoughts below.
The post Jose Aldo Saved From ‘Boring’ Fight Humiliation as Marlon Vera Calls Out ‘Dinosaurs’ in Charge of Judging Mario Bautista Fight appeared first on EssentiallySports.
