UFC 307 star who inspired Conor McGregor to suggest MMA rule change rips octagon legend in fiery post-fight reaction… ‘Shut up’

Mario Bautista’s win on Saturday night didn’t impress very many viewers, including one of the UFC’s most iconic fighters.

Conor McGregor was one of many watching UFC 307 last night, live tweeting and deleting throughout the event. And when Bautista landed a controversial split decision win over his old rival Jose Aldo, the Irishman suggested that rules be changed in the sport to combat his tactics.

However, the bantamweight contender is not taking the criticism lightly, launching a fiery tirade back at the Irishman after the fact. He will now move up to number ten at 135lb and emerges as a legitimate contender in a wide open division.

Who is Conor McGregor? Step inside the hedonistic life of UFC’s ‘notorious’ bad boy and legendary double champConor McGregor demands MMA rule change after Jose Aldo’s loss at UFC 307On the main card in Salt Lake City last night, Mario Bautista took on legendary former world champion Jose Aldo. The Brazilian had come out of retirement earlier this year to launch one last run for bantamweight gold, and has been willing to take on all challengers in his path.

However, he came up short against Bautista, who is now one of the top ten contenders in the division. McGregor was watching live, and was enraged at the 31-year-old’s decision to wrestle and seemingly stall for time, which allowed him to eek out a split decision.

The Irishman suggested a change to refereeing practices and rules after watching the bout, writing in a series of tweets: “As referee, if the fighters go to the same place of [stall] over and over I would be putting the position on a clock, and each time they end back there the clock goes shorter.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC“30 second clock. 20 second clock, 10 second, 8 second, 6 second etc etc etc Separate, seperate, separate. No point prolonging these positions as if they haven’t taken place exactly the same way prior and nothing has taken place but stawling. My opinion.”

He even suggested naming his new method ‘the McGregor clock’, telling one fan: “It’s bad form but an easy fix! Referees need to implement the ‘McGregor Clock’ method. Check my tweets here on this.

“Also it wasn’t failed takedowns it was direct stawling he said it post interview. People jiggling a little bit is to keep the referee from stepping in. REFEREES NEED TO BE ON POINT HERE. For the fans! #TheMcGregorClock #EndStawlingQuicker.

“Some refs won’t like I named that clock after myself but whatever, call it what ya’s want. But implement it! Dana [White, UFC CEO who does not dictate the rules of the sport], say it to them.”

Mario Bautista hits back at Conor McGregor after UFC 307 criticismIn the aftermath of his win, Bautista was roundly booed by the crowd at the Delta Center for his performance, as well as handing a loss to a beloved legend. However, he kept his composure, and maintained his commitment to the tactics used.

Following that moment, he spoke to media in a post-fight press conference and was asked about McGregor’s suggestion. He wasn’t very receptive, noting that the Irishman should focus on his own return to action after three years on the sidelines.

“Conor can kiss my a***,” Bautista said in a fiery, but brief statement after being asked about what had been said on social media. “And he can fight whenever he’s supposed to. Take the fight against Michael Chandler and shut up.”

Dana White sides with Conor McGregor in rule change debate after UFC 307While not quite as bullish as his star fighter, UFC boss Dana White was similarly critical of Bautista’s performance on route to a victory. He believes that it was a style that is anti-fighting, and that officials should be able to penalise it more, with judges also not scoring in favour of the stalling fighter.

“I always think that the referees should be more active on that, 100 per cent, especially when someone keeps doing it to stall,” White told media during his post-fight press conference. “You guys aren’t going to let up on this are you, so let’s get into it.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC“If you’re judging a guy if it’s on control, this or that, if you’re not trying to fight then how do you win the fight? If you’re looking at attempted takedowns, well what about stuffing the takedowns? It was just madness.

“When you can tell that a guy definitely doesn’t want to stand and strike and just wants to stall along the fence, that’s the ref’s job – when they see it continually happening and the guy is not trying to win the fight, then you keep breaking them up.”

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