Tag: Patchy Mix

Bellator champion Patchy Mix still frustrated with PFL: ‘I’ve been shelved’

Bellator champ Patchy Mix details his current situation with PFL, which has him feeling like he’s wasting his prime years of his MMA career.

“Why am I not fighting? Why am I sitting on the sidelines, basically wasting my prime years?”

Those two question sum up [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag]’s issue with the PFL.

Mix, the bantamweight champion of recently-defunct Bellator promotion, finds himself under PFL contract, but with no fights or clear career trajectory. That’s why Mix has been vocal on social media, putting PFL on blast, while asking for his release, so he can resume his fighting career.

“I have to voice it because I’m in the prime of my career, and not only because I’m in the prime of my career, but because I’m the best bantamweight in the world,” Mix told MMA Junkie Radio. “(My record is) 20-1 and 15 finishes, and I’ve been shelved. I’ve had one fight in the last 14 months. I do very well with activity, my whole career. This is the longest layoff of my career.”

PFL purchased Bellator in November 2023, continues operations in 2024, and recently announced the promotion will no longer continue, and all fights will be promoted under the PFL banner. During that span, Mix has only fought once, defending his Bellator bantamweight belt against Magomed Magomedov in May 2024. He was supposed to fight in November, but a two weeks prior to the event, PFL canceled the entire show.

“I’ve had to fights canceled without being compensated,” Mix said. “I’ve spent thousands and thousands of dollars to bring my corner men and coaches out for those fights. First November in Paris, and then January in Dubai.”

Mix, No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, is on a seven-fight win streak, which includes victories over notable names Sergio Pettis and Kyoji Horiguchi. He’s widely regarded among the best 135-pound fighters on the planet, and looked in world-class form during his run through the Bellator grand prix in 2023.

Mix, 31, said any momentum he picked up between 2021 and 2023 has died down, while the frustration has mounted. He still considers himself the best on the planet, but feels PFL has derailed his opportunity to prove it, and would prefer to part ways and joint he UFC.

“A lot of it has to do with momentum, and I’m a momentum fighter,” Mix said. “My whole entire career, between amateur and professional, I’m 31 wins and one loss and I have fought for the last 11 years 32 times. So every four or five months I’m fighting consistently, and I’ve never had to deal with injuries … So to have that momentum ripped out, don’t know what they promotion, don’t know what happens with my contract, don’t know what happens with my belt, and next thing you know I’m sitting out for a long time. … My momentum is kind of done and I have to go through a war, and they’re now sitting me for another 10 months to a year. Momentum is hard to attain in this game, but there’s no doubt in my mind, I just need the fights to stay active.

“If they don’t want to let me fight, then release me, and in 365 days, I will be the UFC champion.”

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Patchy Mix not nervous for fiancee Tatiana Suarez’s UFC 312 title shot: ‘I’m worried for her opponent’

Patchy Mix discusses his nerves – or lack there of – for his fiancee Tatiana Suarez’s title shot at UFC 312.

[autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] is confident that his [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] will prevail at UFC 312.

Suarez (11-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) challenges strawweight champion Zhang Weili (25-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

In her corner will be her fiancee, Bellator bantamweight champion Mix, who’s ready to see Suarez realize her dream, just as she did for him when he won the Bellator grand prix.

“The million dollars for me was amazing, I was able to help my family,” Mix told MMA Junkie Radio. “I love Tatiana so much, she will be my wife. She’s my fiancee now, I’ve been with her for close to four years. I think this one will mean even more than that to me to be honest with you. Helping her, seeing the adversity she went through, seeing her struggle, that sh*t almost brings a tear to my eye when I think about it. That’s why I try to help her the way I do, that’s why I’m here, I got her back 100 percent.

“(At UFC 312), we’re all going to bat for her, but I would go to bat for Tatiana like I would go to bat for nobody in this world besides my family, my daughter. So, I think it will mean so much even more than winning for me to see her not get compensated, not get the shiny belt. Just for her to achieve her goals that she wanted because she set out to achieve this goal so long ago, and I know how much it means to her, and I know how hard she has worked so, it means so much.”

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Despite being the challenger, Suarez enters her first title against dominant champ Weili as the betting favorite according to most oddsmakers. Mix doesn’t need that reassurance, because he’s had a front row seat to Suarez’s year of hard work and overcoming adversity.

“People ask if I’m nervous, Tatiana has worked so f*cking hard for this fight, she’s so dedicated, so consistent that I’m not worried,” Mix continued. “I’m worried about her opponent. I’m worried for her opponent.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 312.

Patchy Mix asks for PFL release: ‘This is no way to treat a champion’

Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix wants out of PFL, he announced in a lengthy statement in which he criticized the promotion.

Another Bellator champion wants to be free of the PFL.

On Monday, bantamweight titleholder [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] let the world know he wants out of his PFL contract, frustrated with his lack of activity.

Mix (20-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) is widely considered one of the best bantamweights in the world and one of the best overall talents PFL has under contract at the moment. Since PFL absorbed Bellator in November 2023, Mix has fought one time – in April 2024 – when he defeated Magomed Magomedov by split decision.

“Right now I’m 31 years of age,” Mix wrote on Instagram. “In the prime of my career. I spent my last 6 years of my life fully dedicated to @bellatormma. I worked extremely hard and sacrificed everything to win the grand prix and become a (3) multi time world champion. Now with the promotion gone I’m exactly champion of what?

“I’ve always showed up to put it on the line have never turned down a single fight. Right now in perspective as a healthy world champion I fought just once going on 15 months now. All my momentum in my career has been lost, As this is the longest layoff of my 31 fights I’ve had between amateur and pro.

“I’m 20-1 now close to 5 years undefeated. I’ve finished my last 13/15 opponents and am legitimately one round removed from a perfect 21-0. Not boring entertainer either since I have an 80 percent finish rate. I KNOW I’m the best in the world at bantamweight and I want to prove this.

“I ask this with the upmost respect and urgency from @dscct @pflmma PLEASE RELEASE me from my contract so I can perform to make money and do what I have to do to support my family. I’m in the prime of my career and I’m the BEST. I should be able to compete against the other best fighters In the world and not be on the shelf. If the sky was the limit I’m on the moon right now skill wise and there should be only one octagon I display my skill set in. Plus the ambassador for @pflmma is @francisngannou I mean I’m a world champion out of the same gym and you personally see how hard I work and try to be a leader for this team. This is no way to treat a champion. RELEASE patchy mix”

https://www.instagram.com/p/DFn-TjlTZxP

Mix, 31, had previously voiced frustration with the promotion for not booking him more, but Monday’s post was the first where he flat-out asked for a release.

The request comes weeks after Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Freire embarked on a similar campaign – one that eventually led to his release from the promotion.

MMA Junkie reached out to PFL for comment on Mix’s post. At the time of publication, the promotion has not responded.

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Frustrated Bellator champ Patchy Mix requests release due to inactivity

Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix just wants to compete, and doesn’t know when his next fight will be.

[autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] just wants to be where he can regularly compete.

Mix (20-1), the current Bellator bantamweight champion, has grown frustrated with his recent lack of activity since the PFL’s acquisition of Bellator. He’s only competed once in 2024 and doesn’t know when his next fight will be.

“My manager told me to hold off but haven’t heard anything from @PFLMMA @DonnDavisPFL,” Mix wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “If you are not gonna have me fight then just please release me from contract. This is not what I want, but if I’m not important to the company being a multi time champ, then let me go respectfully.”

Mix has typically made two to three appearances per year throughout his career. His lone fight in 2024 was a split decision win over Magomed Magomedov at Bellator Champions Series in May. He was scheduled to face Leandro Higo at a November event in Paris, but the entire card was canceled.

Other Bellator champions such as Corey Anderson and Patricio Freire have recently expressed their frustration with activity. Although PFL CEO Peter Murray recently stated the promotion plans to increase the total number of events across the board between PFL and Bellator brands, a few titleholders still feel uncertain about their future.

Mix made his Bellator debut in 2019 and is currently on a seven fight winning streak with two bantamweight title defenses. Like his peers who have also spoken up, Mix is considered to be one of the best in his division outside of the UFC.

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Bellator champions Patchy Mix, Patricio ‘Pitbull,’ Corey Anderson air frustration with PFL over lack of fights

Three current Bellator champions have gone public against PFL for its failure to book them in fights.

Despite PFL boasting itself as a pro-fighter organization, the complaints from athletes since the company purchased Bellator continue to increase.

The latest round of grievances is headed by current Bellator bantamweight champion [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag], light heavyweight titleholder [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] and featherweight kingpin [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag], who are upset about what they say is a lack of communication from the PFL brass about the next steps in their careers.

Anderson (18-6), who hasn’t competed since he won the vacant 205-pound strap against Karl Moore in March, opened the floodgates Wednesday when he posted on social media that he’s been waiting for the phone to ring with information about his first title defense (via X):

Mix (20-1), who has been out of action since he defended his belt against Magomed Magomedov in May, criticized the company for leaving him in the dark about his next fight after his scheduled title defense against Leandro Higo in November was called off when the entire event was canceled (via X):

Sunday, “Pitbull” Freire (36-7), who has the most fights, wins and title fight victories in the history of the Bellator brand, joined in with a lengthy complaint of his own, pointing out numerous ongoing issues (via X):

After PFL acquired Bellator in November 2023, the strategy shared by PFL Co-Founder Donn Davis was that Bellator would continue with eight Bellator Champions Series events over the course of the year, all of which would feature at least two championship bouts.

That plan did not unfold as promised. Only five events took place, and just one included multiple title fights. Moreover, the Bellator brand now appears to be getting phased out.

An event recently was announced for Jan. 25 in Dubai featuring Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov taking on Paul Hughes in the headlining spot, but it has been titled as the Road to Dubai series, with minimal Bellator branding associated.

There’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging for not just the public, but the fighters, as well. In addition to Freire, Mix and Anderson, other fighters have expressed similar feelings of being left out of the loop with their career management (via X):

PFL executives have yet to respond to any of the recent fighter complaints. Former Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi was another high-profile fighter who opted to go public about his situation with Bellator earlier this year, claiming the company would not book him under his contracted wage and attempted to renegotiate. He was released from his contract, and currently is pursuing a lawsuit for breach of contract.

Former Bellator welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov and 170-pound veteran Sabah Homasi also have shared gripes with the company.

Longtime MMA coach Duke Roufus, who is the coach of former Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis, also recently issued a statement with concerns about how the company is handling its athletes.

“The elephant in the room in the MMA world right now: What is going on with PFL and Bellator?” Roufus said. “As a former fighter, I have a different perspective than managers or people who run it because I understand, being a former fighter and these guys I train, that time is of the essence. You can always make more money – you can’t make more time in life and time is of the essence for these guys to create their goals and legacies and how they make their living. They don’t get paid to train, they get paid to fight.

“My man Sergio Pettis has not fought for Bellator since Nov. 17 of last year. He was given permission to fight for RIZIN on June 3. That was not on his contract. And he was just offered a fight in Japan that we heard through our Japanese contact, but that was for RIZIN – but there’s no date in site. This is very tough for these fighters. Communication would be great right now. The organizations are quiet. The managers are quiet while the fighters are waiting. I don’t think it’s fair. Can someone spit out some answers here? The UFC already has all their dates planned through March. I’m a small-time MMA promoter and I’ve already got an April event on the books and I’m nobody. … How can a major organization coming into the new year not have any dates on the books and no answers for these fighters? Please. Somebody. Let me know.”

Bellator champ Patchy Mix staying active at ADXC 6 ‘does not mean Leandro Higo is off the hook’

Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix still hopes to see Leandro Higo soon.

ABU DHABI – Bellator bantamweight champion [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] still hopes to see [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] soon.

Mix (20-1) was scheduled to defend his title against Higo (23-6) in the Bellator Championship Series: Paris main event on Nov. 16, but the event was canceled. In the meantime, Mix has opted to remain active by competing at ADXC 6 on Friday, where he’ll face former ONE Championship title holder Kairat Akhmetov in a no-gi grappling match.

“I want to stay active, and just because I’m staying active does not mean Leandro Higo is off the hook,” Mix told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “When they rebook this, he will be done in two rounds, and I’m hoping he’s watching me this weekend. … I feel like this fight will be rebooked early next year, and we’ll see how it goes, but I’m ready for it.”

Mix hasn’t gotten official word yet on what’s next but is open to defending his belt against anyone – including Raufeon Stots, who called for a rematch after submitting Marcos Breno this past Saturday at PFL: Battle of the Giants.

“I want them all, every one of them,” Mix said. “I’ve taken out everyone in the top five of my division, I’ve fought Magomedov twice, and it doesn’t matter. I’ve seen Raufeon Stots win. There’s a ton of guys out there, and it doesn’t matter who, it just matters when. You can send anybody, but you can’t send anyone you want back.”

PFL founder Donn Davis alluded to MMA Fighting that the Bellator brand might no longer exist in 2025. When asked his reaction, Mix said he just hopes to keep drawing top-level competition.

“As long as I keep getting these big fights, like there’s humongous names over there at PFL that I personally like,” Mix said. “Brendan Loughnane’s been killing it, he’s in the finale this year, he’s a world champion in the past. There are so many exciting fights, so I haven’t heard that.

“But no matter what it is, I’m just excited for the future. Like I said, I’m in my prime of my career, and I just want to prove to the world what I know, and that’s I’m the best 135-pound bantamweight walking in the world today, right now.”

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Bellator Championship Series: Paris event for Nov. 16 canceled

PFL announces the cancelation of the Bellator Championship Series: Paris event for Nov. 16. The bouts on the card will get rescheduled.

Bellator Championship Series: Paris will not be going down after all.

The Bellator card, which was scheduled to go down on Nov. 16 at ADIDAS Arena in Paris, has been canceled and the fighters who were competing on the event will be rescheduled for other cards. PFL, Bellator’s parent company, announced the news Thursday.

Bellator Championship Series: Paris was supposed to be headlined by a bantamweight title fight between [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] and [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag]. No word yet on when and where that bout will now take place.

No specific reason for the cancelation was given, but PFL did clarify that previously purchased tickets have been refunded. Additionally, purchasers will receive a buy one, get one ticket purchase opportunity for PFL Europe Championship in Lyon, France on Dec. 14.

Outside of the championship, fight, two other bouts were previously reported for the card: [autotag]Baissangour Chamsoudinov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Oliver Enkamp[/autotag], and [autotag]Imamshafi Aliev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mike Shipman[/autotag]. No details on the new dates for those bouts.

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Bellator Champions Series: Paris headlined by Patchy Mix vs. Leandro Higo bantamweight title fight

Bantamweight champion Patchy Mix will look to make his second title defense in Paris.

Bantamweight champion [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] will look to make his second title defense in Paris.

Mix (20-1) meets [autotag]Leandro Higo[/autotag] (23-6) in the main event of Bellator Champions Series: Paris on Nov. 16 at ADIDAS Arena in Paris, the promotion announced Tuesday. The event will be co-headlined by France’s undefeated [autotag]Baissangour Chamsoudinov[/autotag] (8-0), who takes on [autotag]Oliver Enkamp[/autotag] (11-4) in a welterweight bout.

After unifying the bantamweight title with a second-round submission of Sergio Pettis this past November at Bellator 301, Mix notched his first title defense with a split decision win over Magomed Magomedov in May in Paris.

Higo will earn a second shot at the Bellator bantamweight title after back-to-back wins over Nikita Mikhailov and James Gallagher on short notice at featherweight. The 35-year-old Brazilian has won five of his past six.

The Bellator Champions Series: Paris lineup includes:

  • Patchy Mix vs. Leandro Higo – for bantamweight title
  • Baissangour Chamsoudinov vs. Oliver Enkamp

USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, May 21: Patchy Mix, Lerone Murphy move up

Check out the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings following UFC Fight Night 241 and Bellator Champions Series: Paris.

Following Bellator Champions Series: Paris and UFC Fight Night 241, the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings required updating.

In the feature bout of the UFC event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, rising featherweight contender [autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag] defeated the always-exciting Edson Barboza in a dominant display to remain undefeated in his pro career.

At Accor Arena in Paris, France, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] recorded a successful defense of his Bellator title by edging out a split decision nod in the main event over Magomed Magomedov.

Both fighters moved up in the rankings in their respective divisions following their impressive performances.

Check out all the latest pound-for-pound and divisional USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings above.

Video: Grading Patchy Mix’s title defense at Bellator Champions Series: Paris

Where does Patchy Mix stand among the best bantamweights after his latest Bellator title defense? We debate on this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique.”

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel reacts to [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag]’s latest title defense.

This past Friday, Mix defended his Bellator bantamweight title, edging out Magomed Magomedov in a close split decision win. The championship fight served as the main event of Bellator Champions Series: Paris. Entering the event, Mix, along with some fans and pundits, made the claim that he’s the best bantamweight in MMA – something that’s sparked debate.

Where does Mix actually stand among the best bantamweights?

MMA Junkie’s Goze Garcia, Farah Hannoun, Danny Segura, and host Gorgeous George discuss Mix’s victory and claim of being the best 135-pound fighter today.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and also don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/8yKez0zdal4

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