Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista tip, start time, odds: UFC 307

Jose Aldo and Mario Bautista meet on the main card of UFC 307 on Saturday at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event: 2-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 81-72-3

Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 preview

The Aldo coming out retirement tour continues and the former longtime featherweight king has his sights set on the bantamweight crown. But to be considered, Aldo (32-8 MMA, 14-7 UFC) must defeat Bautista (14-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who is one spot behind him at No. 11 in the official UFC rankings. …Aldo returned from a nearly two-year MMA hiatus last February with an outstanding performance in a unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Martinez. … Bautista has enjoyed success over the past two-plus years, winning six fights in a row. He is coming off a unanimous decision win over Ricky Simon last January.

Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 Expert Pick, Prediction

An entertaining fight between Aldo and Bautista serves as an action-packed bantamweight offering.

Although it is the 20th time that Aldo has come out of retirement, the former featherweight champion and pound-for-pound GOAT has looked incredibly good in this latest renaissance of his career.

Bautista, on the other hand, is an MMA Lab product that I and many others have had our eye on for some time. Although Bautista initially burst onto the scene as a flashy, stance-shifting striker, the longtime Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt has found some solid success by incorporating more wrestling into his approach.

However, I find it hard to doubt the Brazilian legend, as Aldo used his vaunted takedown defense to arguably beat current champion Merab Dvalishvili the last time he fought in Utah – even at this point in his career.

I wouldn't be shocked if Bautista can make a decision, but I'll pick Aldo to find an empathetic counter hook that leads to a stoppage in round 2.

Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 preview odds

The oddsmakers and the public are slightly favoring the American fighter, calling Bautista -150 and Aldo +118 via FanDuel.

Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista UFC 307 start time, how to watch

The main event is expected to see Aldo and Bautista head to the cage around 11:15 p.m. ET (9:15 p.m. local in Salt Lake City). The fight will be streamed on ESPN+.