A bantamweight bout between contenders Mario Bautista and Vinicius Oliveira will serve as the main event at UFC Fight Night on February 7. Though the card lacks big names and title fights, several bouts feature emerging talent looking to solidify their place in the UFC rankings.
Currently No. 11 in the bantamweight rankings, Oliveira is unbeaten in 4 UFC fights after graduating from the Contender Series. Coming off just the third loss of his career, Bautista looks to regain the form that vaulted him to No. 9 in the class rankings. With his experience in the Octagon Bautista opened as a -190 UFC betting odds favorite.
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs. Oliveira Preview
A total of 13 fights are on the UFC Fight Night ticket with the headline bout between bantamweight hopefuls Bautista and Oliveira. The action takes place on Saturday, February 7, 2026 from the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, NV. The entire fight card will be streamed on Paramount+.
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs. Oliveira Predictions
- The odds suggest a close fight, but given Bautista’s experience in the Octagon and a recent close loss to No. 2 bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov, he emerged as the favorite on the UFC betting odds.
- Bautista had won 8 consecutive fights prior to his unanimous decision loss last October, a run that vaulted him up the rankings.
- With his last 5 fights all going the distance, Bautista is no longer a finisher. Instead he relies on his experience and knowledge inside the Octagon to outsmart his opponents. Bautista has been able to avoid significant strikes while delivering blows from a defensive stance.
- A former UAE Warriors bantamweight champion, Oliveira is fairly new to the UFC. He earned a promotion in 2023 with a first-round KO of Victor Madrigal in the Contender Series and has won all 4 bouts since then.
- Most recently Oliveira scored a unanimous decision, his third straight, over another contender Kyler Phillips at UFC 318. This is easily his toughest UFC opponent and a win will elevate him into the top 10 of the bantamweight rankings.
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs. Oliveira Betting Tips
- Several bouts on the 13-fight ticket are listed with close odds. One of the most intriguing fights is a main card heavyweight bout between Jailton Almeida (-145) and Rizvan Kuniev (+118). Almeida replaces injured Ryan Spann looking to rebound from a loss to Alexander Volkov.
- The bantamweight division gets plenty of attention this week with another class tilt between Said Nurmagomedov (+110) and Javid Basharat (-135). Both fighters are aiming to get back in the conversation following losses. Basharat enters the Octagon ahead of his brother riding a 2-fight skid after winning his first 14 bouts.
- At -560 Daniil Donchenko is listed as the biggest favorite on the UFC Fight Night board in his preliminary card welterweight tussle with Alex Morono (+396). Morono enters on a 3-fight losing streak.
UFC Fight Night: Bautista vs. Oliveira Head to Head and Key Stats
(9) Mario Bautista vs. (11) Vinicius Oliveira – Bantamweight Fight
- Bautista has never lost consecutive fights in his 19 career matches. He looks to avoid that scenario on Saturday.
- With an overall record of 19-3 with 3 KOs and 6 SUBs, Bautista has been a constant in the division rankings but he lacks a signature win. All 3 setbacks have come since joining the UFC, where he’s 10-3 with 6 wins by UD.
- Oliveira enters on a 6-fight winning streak and he’s undefeated inside the Octagon. He made an impressive debut with a flying knee KO of Bernardo Sopaj 2 years ago. His next 3 wins were by UD, most recently over ranked contender Kyler Phillips last July.
- Oliveira has a career record of 23-3 with 16 KOs and 2 SUBs. With lethal hands and strong legs, he can beat opponents in a number of different ways. In 2021 Oliveira won the UAE Warriors bantamweight belt.
- He competed successfully in different promotions before being invited to participate in the Contender Series in 2023. In September he KO’d Victor Madrigal earning his UFC contract. He climbed the ranks winning his first 4 fights inside the Octagon.
