Patchy Mix made a statement at Bellator 295 this past weekend (April 22, 2023).
It only took one cracking knee to the chin of Raufeon Stots 80 seconds into his second Bellator title bout for Mix to become a million-dollar man and the new interim Bantamweight titleholder (watch highlights). The win extended Mix’s winning streak to five straight and capped off a stellar run through the divisional Grand Prix, continuing to prove the depth of Bantamweight on a global scale as well as his superb talent.
Mix (18-1) feels the proof is now in the pudding that he’s the very best there is.
“It’s not about can I prove it, it’s about if they’re willing to accept it when I do,” Mix told ESPN. “We’ll prove it over and over again, man. I’m 18-1 and I’ve got more finishes than [Marlon] ‘Chito’ Vera. Every Top 5 UFC fighter, go look at their finishes then go look at mine. I have more finishes than every one of them. It’s about the accolades and the people think that I need to go against these guys in order to be, let’s say, ranked above ‘em. They need to go against me, man. I’m ranked above them because of my record, my body of work.
“I have [14] finishes,” he continued. “I don’t just think I’m the best Bantamweight in Bellator, I think I’m the best Bantamweight in the world. By no doubt do I think I could beat every ranked guy that’s across the board from me not only in ONE Championship, John Lineker and those guys, or UFC. Any one of them I think I can beat them. I’m not only the interim Bellator champion, but I’m 18-1 with 14 finishes and you can’t find a Bantamweight that has the accolades that I have. You can’t.”
Mix, 29, already knows who his next opponent will be. The versatile finisher and typical submission artist awaits the winner of June’s champion vs. champion clash between undisputed 135-pound titlist, Sergio Pettis, and Featherweight kingpin, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. Ideally, Mix hopes Pitbull gets the job done at Bellator 297 in Chicago, Illinois so he can get the chance to dethrone the Bellator G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) and current pound-for-pound king.