UFC 316 features one of the most highly anticipated Octagon debuts in some time when Patchy Mix makes the walk for the first time.
The former Bellator champion has long been considered to be one of the very best talents outside of the UFC before he was signed to the promotion last month.
When Marlon Vera withdrew from UFC 316, Mix stepped in to face the #10-ranked Mario Bautista with the two men exchanging comments ahead of June 7.
There are high expectations for the new bantamweight contender with Mix himself believing that he can pose issues to Merab Dvalishvili, who is set to defend his 135 pound title in the main event.
A UFC legend went as far as to rank the new arrival above Sean O’Malley, who looks to reclaim the belt in his rematch with Dvalishvili, before Mix has even stepped inside the Octagon.
- READ MORE: ‘I almost feel bad’… UFC veteran brutally blames Julianna Pena for his dislike of women’s MMA
Frankie Edgar explains his decision to rank Patchy Mix higher than Sean O’Malley at bantamweight
During the UFC’s morning weigh-in show, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar joined the panel of Daniel Cormier and Laura Sanko to preview UFC 316.
The conversation eventually landed on Patchy Mix’s debut with the three analysts being tasked with placing the former Bellator star into the UFC rankings based on what they’ve seen from him in the past.
Cormier and Sanko had very similar lists, with Mix only being one spot apart in their rankings after Cormier ranked him at #6 while Sanko had him one higher at #5.
‘DC’ made the argument for why, in his opinion, Song Yadong deserves to be in the top five but Edgar’s rankings were significantly different.
He placed Mix in the #4 spot, with only Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan, Umar Nurmagomedov and the champion Merab Dvalishvili ahead of him.
Edgar went on to explain why he has Mix higher than former champion Sean O’Malley, who hasn’t fought since he lost the title to Dvalishvili last september.
“Listen, this is not a knock on him because I definitely think O’Malley has a good chance of winning this weekend too, and he could beat any of these guys and he has beat some of them. But, I don’t think he beat Petr Yan.”
- READ MORE: Ilia Topuria sends message of support to Merab Dvalishvili ahead of Sean O’Malley rematch at UFC 316
Patchy Mix comes into the UFC with high expectations for good reason
With a record of 20-1 with 15 finishes, it doesn’t take long to realize where the hype has come from regarding Patchy Mix’s UFC debut.
Mario Bautista might be an overlooked opponent as a result, and he certainly has the ability to spoil this debut, but you only need to look at Mix’s recent run of results in Bellator to see why people are so high on him.
The 31-year-old’s last five fights have all been against opponents with incredibly impressive performances and he was able to secure the finish in three of the five outings.
| Opponent | Record | Event | Result |
| Magomed Magomedov | 20-3 | Bellator Champions Series: Paris | Split Decision |
| Sergio Pettis | 23-5 | Bellator 301 | Submission – Round 2 |
| Raufeon Stots | 19-1 | Bellator 295 | Knockout – Round 1 |
| Magomed Magomedov | 19-2 | Bellator 289 | Submission – Round 2 |
| Kyoji Horiguchi | 29-4 | Bellator 279 | Unanimous Decision |
If Mix is able to hit the ground running with a big performance at UFC 316, he may just be one fight away from a title shot, especially if it means him locking horns with his former training partner, Merab Dvalishvili.