Bautista's MMA Debut -- FIRST ROUND VICTORY

The punches were real ... the blood was real ... and now former WWE champ Bautista has chalked up his first real win in an actual MMA fight.

Bautista stepped in the ring on Saturday night with Vince Lucero -- a veteran MMA brawler turned bona fide fat person.

Lucero threw a couple of good shots during the fight ... but in the end, Bautista was too strong for the veteran. The ref stopped the fight at 4:05 in the opening round when Bautista mounted his opponent and rained down with a flurry of undefended punches to the head.