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‘Patchy Mix 2.0’ Is Here To Take Over
Patchy Mix Already Has A Stellar MMA Resume, And At UFC 316 He Plans To Put The Entire Bantamweight Division On Notice With A Dominant Debut Display
Patchy Mix is now a UFC fighter, and says he’ll defeat anyone the UFC puts in front of him in his quest to become undisputed UFC bantamweight champion.
The 31-year-old built his name under the now-defunct Bellator MMA banner, where he became the promotion’s bantamweight world champion. Now, having signedwith UFC, he’s ready to showcase his elite-level talents on the biggest stage in the sport.
As you’d expect from a fighter who has torn through top-level opposition throughout his career, Mix has arrived on the UFC roster full of confidence that he has the skills and the mindset to take himself all the way to the top of the bantamweight division.
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That confidence was there for all to see as he sat down with UFC.com for his first fight week interview. And, while some fighters’ confidence can be mistakenly identified as arrogance, Mix spoke with the clarity and certainty of a fighter who simply knows he’s one of the very best in the world.
“On Saturday night, make no mistake about it, it will be my show,” he stated.
“I will take over the card, and I will prove my dominance and how exciting I am and the finishing ability that I have. I will prove that on Saturday.”
Even a cursory glance at Mix’s resume will reveal that his record is a formidable one. Twenty wins from 21 career fights, with 15 of those victories coming inside the distance, 13 of them by submission. Mix isn’t just a winner, he’s a bonafidefinisher.
Fighters on the Rise | UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O’Malley 2
“I believe in fighting and pushing the pace until you engage and then until you can finish someone,” he explained.
“I don't look at trying to game plan, to pit and point and try to win. I don't even really try to win rounds. I try to just finish you, and I try to pressure you, and I try to separate you from your consciousness. That's it, for the whole entire 15 minutes.
Angola’s own. Buffalo’s own. Finally it’s time! #PatchyMix @TeamMixMMA pic.twitter.com/By9RMuiQVq
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) May 18, 2025
“I don't look at it like, ’Oh, I need to win this round.’ I look at it like ‘I want to separate him from his consciousness from the moment the first minute starts to the 15th minute.’”
That mindset took him to great success in the Bellator MMA cage, and he plans on continuing his success inside the eight walls of the Octagon – a structure he says he prefers to his previous home of a circular cage, due to the increased avenues for cutting off your opponent.
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His first UFC test comes on relatively short notice. When Marlon Vera was forced out of his planned bout with Mario Bautista, the UFC drafted in Mix, who said he’s more than ready to put a stop to Bautista’s impressive seven-fight tear this weekend at UFC 316.
“I’m just excited to get out there and go and compete,” he admitted.
Patchy Mix Fight Week Interview | UFC 316
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Patchy Mix Fight Week Interview | UFC 316
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“It's been a while since I fought. I've had one year of a layoff, waiting to fight, just training. So they called me on three-and-a-half weeks’ notice for this fight when “Chito” Vera fell out, and I had already been in great shape, had already been training. So I said, ‘F**k yeah, let's do it.’ And here I am now, a few weeks later, and I'm ready to go.”
That year away from the cage may have pumped the brakes a tad on Mix’s competitive activity, but he said that he’s used the time wisely, and returns to action this weekend feeling more dangerous than ever.
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“It was a very beneficial year since I fought and defended my title last May,” he explained.
“My fights kept getting canceled. I was sitting for a long time, and I just kept training and training and training. I ended up taking a grappling match in Dubai in November, because I just wanted to compete.
“For a whole year, I worked on things, and I had already been a multi-time world champion, already had been dominating. So I feel like this right here is going to be like ‘Patchy Mix 2.0’ – an entire new version of me – and I've just entered my prime. They haven't seen anything that I'm capable of doing until they see it on Saturday night.”
He may be making his UFC debut this weekend, but Mix is anything but a newbie. With 21 pro fights to his name, and with each of his last five fights being contested over five rounds in either title fights or tournament bouts, he’s used to competing in big fights.
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And all the while he was competing under a different banner, he was keeping tabs on what was happening in UFC. He’d even spent time on the mats with many of them.
“Even though I haven't been here, I've been watching this division,” he said.
“I know a lot of guys in the division. I've trained with all the top guys in our division. So, you know, that training stops now.
“I think it's one of the biggest, deepest divisions in the entire UFC, and I'm not only looking forward to being a part of it, I plan to come and take it over.
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“I truly believe I am the best bantamweight. I have more wins than all these guys, I have more finishes than all these guys, I have less losses, and have never been finished myself.
“So what I see is that I'm hunting the bantamweight division, and it starts with Mario Batista at number 10, and it will go from number 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 ,5 ,4 ,3 ,2, 1 – all of them. I'm hunting them, so now I'm here, and it doesn't matter, I'll go through all of them.”
Patchy Mix Interview | UFC 316
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Patchy Mix Interview | UFC 316
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Going through the entire bantamweight field would certainly make a statement, but Mix’s intention is to simply demonstrate his championship credentials at the earliest possible opportunity. For him, a strong performance and victory over Bautista should demonstrate his level in the UFC’s talent-stacked 135-pound division.
“I’m right there,” he said.
“I will beat both the guys that are fighting for the title on Saturday night. I think I could beat both those guys now.
“With all due respect, I'm already a multi-time world champion. For me to go through the entire division and then just go finish them all, I don't mind doing that, but that doesn't mean that my skill level is not already there.
“Credential-wise, I have more wins than Sean O'Malley and Merab right now. I have more finishes than Sean O'Malley and Merab right now, and I have less losses. Those guys have both been finished themselves. So, my level, I'm already there.
“But to the UFC and the casual fans that are just watching now, I feel like when they see what I can do to Mario Bautista, who's on a seven-fight win streak, who just beat Jose Aldo – when they see what I can do to him, they're all going to want me to fight the winner of that fight on Saturday night, I believe.”
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As for what the UFC fans will see from him on Saturday night, Mix was every bit as emphatic as his fight record.
“I just plan to do what Patchy Mix does every single fight, and I plan to dominate him,” he stated.
“I will dominate Mario Bautista, and I will finish him.”
UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs O'Malley 2 took place live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on June 7, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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