Patchy Mix Main Events Bellator Champions Series Paris On Nov. 16, ‘Baki’ Co-Headlines

For the second time this year, Patchy Mix will put his Bellator bantamweight title on the line in the French capital. After unifying the titles and securing undisputed status with a submission of Sergio Pettis at Bellator 301 last November, Mix returned for his first defense — and first appearance following the PFL’s acquisition of […]

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For the second time this year, Patchy Mix will put his Bellator bantamweight title on the line in the French capital.

After unifying the titles and securing undisputed status with a submission of Sergio Pettis at Bellator 301 last November, Mix returned for his first defense — and first appearance following the PFL’s acquisition of his organization — this past May.

At the second Bellator Champions Series event, the 30-year-old retained possession of his gold by narrow margins inside Paris’ Accor Arena, falling on the right side of a split decision verdict in a rematch against Magomed Magomedov.

He’ll be looking for a more definitive victory when he returns to France this November, where a first-time matchup with Brazil’s Leandro Higo awaits him at the Adidas Arena.

The Bellator main event was announced in a PFL press release this week, alongside a co-headliner between Oliver Enkamp and the highly regarded and undefeated Baissangour “Baki” Chamsoudinov, who look set to be the main attraction for the home crowd.

Mix vs. Higo Headlines In Paris, ‘Baki’ Makes Bellator Champions Series Debut

When Mix and “Baki” appear in the headline positions on November 16, both will be looking to secure their second Paris triumphs of 2024.

Mix (20-1) faced a tougher than predicted challenge from Magomedov in their rematch, going the distance in a competitive affair almost two years on from his second-round submission of the Russian at Bellator 289 in Connecticut. Nevertheless, “No Love” had his hand raised and remained among the names outside of the UFC who are heralded as being in the world’s elite at 135 pounds.

In Higo (23-6), Mix will face an opponent looking to achieve title glory at the second time of trying. “Alter” previously fell short of the bantamweight gold against Darrion Caldwell back in 2018. Since a loss to Aaron Pico that same year, the Brazilian has won five of six, most recently winning back-to-back outings against Nikita Mikhailov and James Gallagher to secure number one contender status.

Leandro Higo & James Gallagher
Image: PFL MMA

While headliner Mix emerged victorious at a Bellator Champions Series event in Paris this year, co-main event star Chamsoudinov (8-0) extended his undefeated record in controversial fashion under the PFL Europe banner. “Baki” competed in a highly anticipated main event against fellow French standout Cédric Doumbé this past March, but their bout came to an anticlimactic end in round three after the former Glory Kickboxing champion’s calls to remove a splinter from his toe resulted in Marc Goddard waving the contest off.

In the aftermath of that win, “Baki” appeared to take issue with the time it took for the PFL to pay him fully, and reports subsequently suggested a UFC signing was on the cards for the free agent. That ultimately didn’t come to fruition, with the Frenchman instead putting pen to paper on a deal with the PFL instead.

To record a more definitive win on home soil this year in what will be his Bellator Champions Series debut, “Baki” is tasked with getting past Enkamp (11-4). The Swedish 32-year-old competed six times for Bellator following an 0-2 run in the UFC. Among a number of notable highlights is the rare buggy choke he secured at Bellator 281 in London just over two years ago.

Baissangour Chamsoudinov & Cedric Doumbe
Image: PFL MMA

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Bellator Champions Series London Loses Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards On Late Notice, New Main Event Confirmed

The return of the Bellator brand to England’s capital has taken a major blow less than two weeks out. After the Professional Fighters League (PFL) acquired Bellator MMA and announced the Bellator Champions Series, founder Donn Davis outlined plans for two titles to be on the line at each of the eight events. While that […]

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The return of the Bellator brand to England’s capital has taken a major blow less than two weeks out.

After the Professional Fighters League (PFL) acquired Bellator MMA and announced the Bellator Champions Series, founder Donn Davis outlined plans for two titles to be on the line at each of the eight events.

While that promise came through for event one in Belfast, the subsequent cards in Paris and Dublin saw just one piece of gold at stake. And although that trend continues in San Diego this week, London has now lost its one and only championship clash.

Following a lightweight title showdown between Usman Nurmagomedov and Alexandr Shabliy on US soil this coming Saturday, the Bellator Champions Series will cross the pond to stage its fifth event of the year inside London’s OVO Arena Wembley.

But just days out, fans planning to attend have received some disastrous news…

Eblen vs. Edwards Postponed, McCourt Headlines Championshipless Champions Series Card

Topping the lineup on Sept. 14 was scheduled to be middleweight kingpin Johnny Eblen and England’s own Fabian Edwards, with the latter slated to challenge for “The Human Cheat Code’s” title for the second time in as many years.

On Tuesday, however, a post on the Bellator MMA social media accounts announced that the pair’s main event has been scrapped from the card and will be rescheduled for a later date. The reason for the cancellation is unclear as of this writing.

With insufficient time to book a replacement bout with similar stakes and name value, the original women’s featherweight co-main event between Leah McCourt and Sara Collins has been elevated to the headline spotlight.

That news was met with frustration from plenty of UK fans, some of whom took to the comment sections on X and Instagram to enquire about possible refunds.

Below the promoted main event matchup, notable UK names like former PFL Europe standout Simeon Powell, ex-UFC contender Marc Diakiese, and highly touted American Archie Colgan are all set to be in action.

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