Mario Bautista “surprised” to be fighting Guido Cannetti, vows to finish him and prove he belongs “at the top”

Mario Bautista was surprised when he was offered to face Guido Cannetti on March 11 at UFC Las Vegas.

Bautista extended his current win streak to three last time out with a first-round submission win over Benito Lopez. After the win, he thought he could get someone ranked but was offered Cannetti which was surprising.

“A little bit, I was a little surprised by Benito, too. This one as well because I made my point that I belong at the top, but it is what it is,” Bautista said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “If anything, it is just more experience for me. Guido brings it in the first round so that is what I am looking forward to and growing from this fight.”

Although Bautista was surprised to be fighting Cannetti at UFC Las Vegas, he is looking forward to the challenge that Cannetti presents. He knows the 43-year-old is very dangerous in the first round but believes he can utilize his wrestling to slow Cannetti down.

“I think it has to hit the mat at some point. He goes forward and I go forward, we are bound to clash and wrap up,” Bautista said. “The smart thing for me to do would be to submit him or pound him out, whatever it may be. But I think we will be wrapping up.”

If Mario Bautista does extend Guido Cannetti, he knows it will only be a matter of time until he finishes him. However, the American also isn’t ruling out another first-round submission.

“That first round, I think I’m going to have to really weather the storm because he knows that is his only chance, a first-round knockout,” Bautista explained. “I’m going to be there all three rounds, if we make it out of the first round, it will be going pretty badly for him. But you never know, I’ve been having some pretty good first-round finishes so maybe he will get himself in trouble.”

If Bautista does get his hand raised, he hopes to be rewarded with a ranked opponent next.

“I would hope so, I’m hoping a ranked guy next or someone that is knocking on the floor of the top-15 and maybe I could fight him for that spot,” Bautista concluded. “If I get him out of there in the first round, I don’t know what else I could do to ask for that top-15.”

Do you think Mario Bautista will finish Guido Cannetti at UFC Las Vegas?