Mario Bautista was not kind to an opponent who had been on a lengthy layoff.
In a preliminary bantamweight bout at UFC Vegas 64, Bautista made short work of the returning Benito Lopez, battering him on the feet and finishing the fight with a triangle-armbar at 4:54 of the opening round.
Watch the slick submission finish above.
Bautista was a strong favorite and dominated all aspects of the fight, from striking to grappling. Despite the success he was having on the feet, Bautista decided to change levels and take Lopez down, where he worked to set up the triangle armbar that forced the tap.
Bautista has now won his third consecutive fight after beating Jay Perrin and Brian Kelleher. He improves to 5-2 in the UFC, with three of those wins coming by way of knockout or submission.
Lopez was competing for the first time since July 13, 2019, a span of 1,211 days. His UFC record falls to 2-2.
