Mario Bautista willing to fight Sean O'Malley for title shot
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 15, 2026, 3:20 PM
Last updated Jul 15, 2026
Mario Bautista is open to facing Sean O'Malley for a shot at the UFC bantamweight title. After his recent decision win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC 329, Bautista expressed that he would fight O'Malley if necessary for the championship opportunity. Bautista acknowledges their friendship, stemming from their time training together at The MMA Lab in Arizona, but understands the competitive nature of the sport could bring them into the octagon against each other. O'Malley has also indicated his willingness to consider such a matchup, calling the situation 'tricky' yet manageable as they both pursue the title.
- •Bautista is 17-3 in MMA, 11-3 in UFC.
- •He defeated Cory Sandhagen at UFC 329.
- •Bautista trained with O'Malley at The MMA Lab.
- •O'Malley is open to the fight despite their friendship.
- 3:20 PMYahoo Sports — Mario Bautista open to fighting friend for UFC title shot
"Mario Bautista is willing to fight Sean O'Malley – friend and former teammate – if that's the necessary path to become UFC bantamweight champion.
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