Mario Bautista picked up the biggest win of his UFC career with a statement performance to beat Ricky Simon in a back-and-forth three-round slugfest at UFC Vegas 84.

With a chance to potentially earn a top-15 ranking, Bautista only got stronger as time passed in the fight, as he displayed crisp striking that constantly landed on target. Simon came right back at him every time and also tried to mix in some takedowns, but Bautista was up to the challenge, thwarting almost every attempt.

In the end, Bautista did more damage, especially in several rapid-fire exchanges, and that earned him the win. When it was over, the judges scored the fight 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 as Bautista wrapped up his sixth win in a row overall.

“It was a great fight,” Bautista said. “He can hit hard. I knew it was going to be a tough fight so I prepared physically and mentally for this fight.”

When the action got started, Simon was giving as good as he was getting while really putting on the pressure and also mixing in some grappling attempts. That kept Bautista on his toes, but he also showed no fear throwing huge strikes on the feet, including a massive knee that clipped Simon.

Once the fight moved onto the second round, Bautista started to connect with more regularity with surgical precision in his combinations. Again and again, Bautista’s punches snapped Simon’s head back, and that forced the veteran bantamweight to close the distance and look to use his wrestling.

Bautista consistently scrambled free, which likely frustrated Simon as he felt the fight slipping away from him.

With time running short, Bautista really started to pour on the punishment and Simon had no answer on the feet. That sealed the deal, with Bautista securing the unanimous decision win, and he already had a name in mind for his next fight after beating Simon.

“Six in a row, hopefully get the top 15 and the top 10 next,” Bautista said. “I think if Rob Font wants to prove himself and see if he belongs in that top 10, we can figure it out.”

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