One of the hottest free agents in MMA, Patchy Mix, has reportedly signed with the UFC and may step in to save a fight at UFC 316.
It was recently announced by the PFL that former Bellator bantamweight champion, Patchy Mix, will not be extending his contract and is now a free agent.
The PFL has had several issues with their top fighters, including Cris Cyborg and Patricio Pitbull, leading to Pitbull’s departure and eventual signing with the UFC.
Mix is widely considered to be one of the best 135lb fighters in the world, and his addition to the UFC bantamweight division would lead to several intriguing matchups.
Patchy Mix reportedly signs with the UFC and steps in at UFC 316
Just a few days removed from the shock news that ‘No Love’ was leaving the PFL, despite having not made an appearance under the PFL banner since its acquisition of Bellator, it has been reported that Mix has already signed with the UFC.
MMA journalist, Ariel Helwani said during an episode of The Ariel Helwani Show: “What I do know is, according to sources, there’s no exclusive negotiation period, he can sign with someone today. And it’s not a matter of if he will sign with the UFC it’s a matter of when.
“And really, I’ll go as far as saying it’s not a matter of when he’ll sign with the UFC, it’s a matter of when he’ll debut with the UFC, this is a done deal.”
Not long after, news broke that former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera is out of his UFC 316 fight against Mario Bautista.
It was then reported that Mix would be stepping in to take on Bautista in Newark, making his UFC debut on a blockbuster card, headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley.
Patchy Mix previously claimed he would beat Sean O’Malley
There have been calls for the UFC to sign the 31-year-old for several years now, especially when O’Malley was reigning over the division.
At that time, many fans considered Mix to be the best bantamweight in the world, not ‘Suga’ who was the champion in the UFC.
And because of that, Mix has previously been asked how he thinks a fight against O’Malley would go down, claiming that he would beat him within the first two rounds.