Patchy Mix’s pursuit of Merab Dvalishvili’s bantamweight title begins at UFC 316.
After carving a path of destruction in Bellator MMA before the promotion’s acquisition by the PFL, Mix’s Octagon debut will come at UFC 316.
Mix has long branded himself the best in the world at 135 pounds, and the 31-year-old will now get the chance to prove as much, starting against Mario Bautista.
The ex-Bellator champion’s ultimate target is the UFC bantamweight belt, currently held by Dvalishvili. And when it comes to the Georgian, Mix is more than familiar.
Patchy Mix alerted Merab Dvalishvili to his impending UFC arrival
For a number of years, Mix and Dvalishvili have frequently shared the mats at both Syndicate MMA and 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu in Las Vegas.
With that in mind, the pair have long shared a strong relationship and aided in each other’s fight preparation.
But their time training together came to an end the moment Mix signed on the dotted line with the UFC, with the pair now competing under the same banner and in the same division.
To ensure that wouldn’t affect their respect for one another, Mix disclosed to ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto the conversation he had with Dvalishvili.
“We’ve sparred hundreds of rounds, we’ve grappled hundreds of rounds,” Mix said. “When I first moved to Vegas four years ago, we started training together. … We’re very familiar with each other.
“When I had to halt and kind of knew I might be being released (by PFL), I told him as a man, ‘Hey, I might come over.’ … I wanted to tell him, ‘As a man, I might come over, I want to let you know so maybe we can distance training. If it’s for the belt, you know, I’d love to (fight).’
“I wanted to let him know to give him like just a heads up. So it’s not like one day he wakes up and he’s shocked,” Mix added. “He had an awesome reaction, super respectful. … He respects that this is my goal, to be the best in the world.”
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Patchy Mix plans on jumping the line to Merab Dvalishvili’s UFC title
Ahead of UFC 316, Mix has described Bautista as a “journeyman” whom he expects to run through en route to tougher competition.
But if the former Bellator star had his way, he’d quickly be elevated into the title picture.
During the same interview with ESPN MMA, Mix expressed apparent frustration at the UFC’s plan to make him defeat around three contenders before challenging for the bantamweight gold.
“The only thing I don’t agree is how many fights (to get to the title),” Mix said. “They’re gonna try and send me through the gauntlet. How you gonna send a 20-1 Patchy Mix who has better credentials than all these other world champions through the gauntlet?
“They’re saying like three fights or something. I don’t like that, man.” Mix added. “They know who the most dangerous person is, and it’s me.”
With that said, Mix will look to change the promotion’s mind by delivering an emphatic performance at UFC 316.