Patchy Mix is set for a drastically different assignment second time around in the UFC.
Mix became the latest high-profile name to jump ship from the PFL to UFC this year, but his arrival in the sport’s leading promotion did not go to plan.
The ex-Bellator bantamweight champion debuted at UFC 316, an event headlined by Merab Dvalishvili submitting Sean O’Malley to defend his 135-pound belt for the second time.
In the lead-up to the event, Mix expressed confidence about fighting Dvalishvili. But his remarks about getting past Mario Bautista with ease before targeting ‘The Machine’ came back to bite the newcomer, as Mix was convincingly outpointed in Newark.
Some were quick to write the 31-year-old off after that result, but the opportunity for Mix to reignite his title plans in the UFC has now been added to the calendar.
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Patchy Mix returns at UFC 320 against ex-KSW champ Jakub Wiklasz
After Mix had his debut spoiled by Bautista, the former Bellator bantamweight king is in desperate need of a much-improved second display under the UFC banner. If he is to succeed, the Xtreme Couture standout will need to halt another star signing’s hope to make a statement in his first trip to the Octagon.
KSW has continued to make a splash as the leader of Europe’s MMA scene, and the organization’s action has clearly caught the eye of the UFC and its matchmakers.
This past June, the UFC added two champions from the Poland-based promotion to its roster — featherweight Robert Ruchala and bantamweight Jakub Wiklasz. After the former had his debut booked for the UFC Paris event in early September, the latter now has a fight for the following month.
Wiklasz, nicknamed ‘Masa’, will make his arrival against Mix at the UFC 320 pay-per-view in Las Vegas on October 4. The pair’s bantamweight clash will feature on the undercard of light heavyweight champ Magomed Ankalaev’s title defense against Alex Pereira at UFC 320.
The booking sees Mix tasked with getting the better of a highly touted newcomer who is unbeaten across seven fights since 2020. Wiklasz most recently submitted Sebastian Przybysz at KSW 95 to make his third defense of the promotion’s bantamweight title.
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Fans caught off guard by choice of opponent for Patchy Mix’s UFC return
News of Mix’s second UFC fight quickly garnered plenty of reactions from the MMA community, and it is safe to say that most were surprised by the matchmaking.
Having fallen short against top-15 UFC competition, not many were expecting Mix to be chosen as the opponent for another newcomer in Wiklasz.
“Strange matchmaking.”
“How do you go from top ranked opponent on a 8-fight win streak in Mario to KSW champ making his UFC debut?”
“Wow, Mix went from fighting a top 10 guy to a UFC newcomer, who might actually beat him.”
“Weird matchmaking.”
“From saying he’ll finish Merab to fighting a debutant.”
“Crazy debut fight.”
“Lmao, the change in competition.”
“This is a crazy fight but they both should’ve gotten established UFC opponents not each other.”
Some, however, were pleased to see a matchup come together that should deliver fireworks and could determine Mix’s ceiling in the promotion.
“Banger.”
“Bellator champ vs KSW champ.”
“We gotta see where Patchy is at.”
“Great fight, Wiklasz is no slouch!”
“That’s an awesome matchup.”