Overview
- Ag.Fight first reported the bantamweight pairing, which MMA Fighting, MMAmania, BJPenn.com and others corroborated for the Feb. 7 event at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
- The UFC has not announced the bout as sources indicate negotiations are ongoing with finalization expected soon.
- Both fighters would be headlining a UFC event for the first time if the targeted main event is completed.
- Bautista holds a top-10 position after an eight-fight streak ended in an October decision loss to Umar Nurmagomedov, while Oliveira is unbeaten in four UFC appearances and could enter the top 10 with a win.
- The card is positioned as the promotion’s first APEX show of 2026 during the transition to Paramount+, with additional undercard bouts beginning to take shape.