This past Saturday in the main event of UFC Vegas 113, we saw a big matchup in the bantamweight division with a little heat on it. Top bantamweight contenders Mario Bautista (17-3) and Vinicius Oliveira (23-4) went head-to-head.
Oliveira came into the bout undefeated inside the octagon at 4-0 while Bautista was 8-1 in his last nine fights. Oliveira was looking to get revenge for Brazilian legend Jose Aldo who fell to Bautista late in 2024.
Word was that Oliveira was walking around at 165 pounds the week of the feet meaning he had to cut 30 pounds just to make weight. Oliveira also said after the fight that he injured his arm in December. He needed all the excuses because his performance on Saturday was awful.
He looked slow in there and he didn’t fight aggressive like he typically does. Bautista mentioned after the fight that Oliveira was incredibly slow and he attributes that to his weight cut. In the end, Oliveira never got going and Bautista submitted him in the second round at UFC Vegas 113.
What’s next after UFC Vegas 113?
If Vinicius Oliveira is truly walking around close to 165 pounds the week of the fight, he has no business trying to be a bantamweight. It’s not good for his health and it’s not good for his performance. He should absolutely entertain a move to featherweight after this loss.
At featherweight, he wouldn’t have to drain his body so much and he could use his speed to go along with his aggressive style. Despite making the weight, I think the UFC should really push him to try and move up to 145 pounds after this fight. I just don’t see him getting anywhere near the top of the bantamweight division.
If he does move up to 145, I think you could debut him against someone near the back of the rankings. Someone like David Onama could be a good fight for him to debut at or you could look at someone outside the rankings like a Sean Woodson.
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