UFC 316 debutant Patchy Mix captured the world’s undivided attention with a horrific knockout to win a Bellator title.
During his ascent to a Bellator bantamweight championship belt, Patchy Mix was seen as an elite grappling specialist who could smother any opponent. But in the biggest fight of his young career at Bellator 295, Mix proved he could be a problematic matchup for any style inside the cage.
Mix and Raufeon Stots clashed in the championship round of the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix in April 2023. The matchup came to fruition amidst lineal Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis‘s hiatus due to injury, leading to the winner of the tournament claiming the interim title.
Many believed Mix and Stots would have an entertaining battle when the fight got to the ground at Bellator 295, but the fight didn’t last long enough to see that matchup come to fruition.
Patchy Mix capped off $1 million tournament run with a devastating knockout
Mix and Stots got after it in the opening seconds of the fight, with both bantamweights landing nasty kicks and basic boxing combinations to get an early pace feel. After Stots showed a pattern of leaving his chin exposed while charging forward, Mix exploited the opening in brutal fashion.
Just over a minute into the fight, Mix landed a knee to Stots’s chin as his opponent charged forward, flattening his opponent and sending him flying backward. Stots was knocked out cold by Mix’s knee as a Bellator Grand Prix winner was crowned.
Watch Mix get the horrific finish below.
The tournament win not only gave Mix the Bellator interim title, but also a $1 million cash prize for his efforts. It was by far the most lucrative night of Mix’s career after flying under-the-radar in his previous Bellator outings.
Mix’s knockout over Stots capped off a remarkable run in the tournament, featuring wins over former UFC title challenger Kyoji Horiguchi and Magomed Magomedov. Mix will carry over his seven-fight winning streak into his UFC debut this Saturday in Newark.
Patchy Mix begins UFC title run against Sean O’Malley’s teammate
After a rocky end to his PFL/Bellator career, Mix signed with the UFC earlier this year, and will make his promotional debut this Saturday at UFC 315. Mix and Mario Bautista will clash in a pivotal bantamweight matchup on the stacked main card.
Mix has a chance to quickly ascend the bantamweight ladder with an impressive performance over Bautista. Meanwhile, Bautista is looking to keep his strong momentum after recent wins over Jose Aldo and Ricky Simón.
UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has Mix on his radar entering UFC 316. Dvalishvili and Mix have trained together throughout their careers, and a future championship clash is on the table.