In the very first match of the Prelims on ESPN, bantamweight Mario Bautista finished Miles Johns with a flying knee in the biggest win of his MMA career. Bautista handed Miles Johns his first-ever defeat. Bautista who was 7-1 before the fight improved his record to 8-1.

Both fighters tried to read each other in the first round, trying to get the timing and distance right. It was a back and forth round Johns but Johns showed a tendency in the first round. Mario Bautista made the read and took advantage of this tendency in the second round.

Mario Batista vs Miles Johns

Johns was dipping his head and Mario was able to time the knee in the first round. Despite the warning from the corner, Johns was not able to correct this and what followed was a spectacular knock out by a flying knee. After he connected with the flying knee, Bautista swarmed Johns with a flurry of strikes. Johns covered up but was not defending himself correctly. The referee had no choice but to stop the fight and prevent Johns from taking any further damage.

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The 26-year-old Bautista is definitely a prospect in the future. He has a wrestling background from his high school days and tonight he proved that his striking is also at where it needs to be. His only loss came by the hands of Corey Sandhagen in which he was submitted. With his victory against Johns, Bautista has proved that he is a worthy contender in the bantamweight division.