Overview
- Bautista finished Oliveira with a rear-naked choke at 4:46 of Round 2 after controlling the fight with takedowns, a crucifix, a kimura attempt, and a rapid back take.
- Oliveira’s six-fight winning streak and unbeaten UFC run ended, marking his first submission loss since his amateur days.
- Concerns over Oliveira’s severe weight cut surfaced before and after the bout, and he later said a training-room arm fracture hampered preparation, a claim Bautista dismissed as an excuse.
- Coming off a 2025 decision loss to Umar Nurmagomedov, Bautista said the performance supports his push toward elite contention and he publicly requested a rematch with Sandhagen.
- The Meta APEX card was the first Apex show to air on Paramount+, and the co-main saw Kyoji Horiguchi defeat Amir Albazi by unanimous decision.