“Yeah I really believe so,” Mix (19-1) told media outlets including Cageside Press following Bellator 301 in Chicago this past Friday. “My opponent there, Sergio Pettis, you look at his 25 [flyweight] run, but this kid was young when he was in the UFC. He’s great, he just beat Patricio Pitbull, he smoked the only man to beat me, [Juan] Archuleta didn’t win a round against him. I think Sergio is up there with the top three bantamweights in the world right now.”

Mix, in laying out his argument for being the best bantamweight on the planet, suggested that Pettis had beaten better competition that UFC champ Sean O’Malley.

“I think he [Pettis] was so young in the UFC, at 24, 25 years old. He just turned 30-years old, him and I. I feel like we’re both entering our prime. They hold Sean O’Malley in such a high regard, it’s like, Sean O’Malley never beat someone on the level of Patricio Pitbull like Sergio Pettis did. And that’s why I respected him the way I did. That’s why I took this fight very seriously. I feel like a lot of people underestimated him, and I overestimated him because I knew how good he was.”

Having submitted Pettis to unify the Bellator MMA bantamweight champion — Mix won the promotion’s bantamweight grand prix and an interim belt in the process earlier this year — Patchy Mix can now look ahead. Which, in this particular case, might actually mean looking behind him, to a trio of fighters he’s already faced. That includes the only man to ever beat him, RIZIN champ Juan Archuleta.

“I want to avenge a loss that I got of course, but Archuleta is tied up in Japan, he’s fighting, I think he’s on New Year’s. I necessarily don’t like to wait and see, and I know he’s got his deal over there, I’m not sure what Bellator’s deal is,” stated Mix. “But I’m not necessarily chasing anyone. Now that I’m the title holder, whoever they approach me with, I’m willing to do. I don’t mind, I can run it back with all three of them. Any one of them. If they wanted to do me and Serg again, if they wanted to do me and Stots again, or if they wanted to do me and Arculeta. Or even me and Maga. I fought all the top guys, and I just want to fight who they believe is the best.”

Any of those fights would no doubt be entertaining. When Mix will fight again remains to be seen, however. On Monday, the PFL’s purchase of Bellator MMA was officially announced. The promotion will continue as its own brand, mainly with international events, moving forward, though for how long remains unclear.

Watch the full Bellator 301 post-fight press conference with Patchy Mix above.

The post Bellator 301: Patchy Mix Open to Any Number of Rematches appeared first on Cageside Press.

The pair’s title unification bout served as the evening’s co-main event, but given the run both men had been on, it was arguably the most prestigious fight on the card.

Roughly 90 seconds in, Mix hoisted Pettis up over his shoulder, though the slam takedown that was expected to follow was less slam and more laying Pettis on his back. Still, on top was just were Patchy Mix, with an embarrassment of riches in the submission department, wanted to be.

Working from bottom, on the other hand, was where Sergio Pettis did not want to be. Pettis got his butterfly guard in place, looking to lift Mix off him to no avail. Instead, Mix moved to side control, and throughout the round, showed what was widely believed ahead of the bout: in the grappling department, he almost certainly had the edge.

Round two saw the pair go the ground roughly a minute in, with Mix locking up a body triangle in quick succession. Before long, Patchy Mix had an arm under the neck, and it was soon in tight like a vice! While Pettis refused to tap, the ref intervened just as he started going out, checking the now-former champ’s arm (Pettis may have actually signaled his submission to the ref). Either way, no complaint about the stoppage from Sergio Pettis, who was clearly either out, or well on his way.

As for Mix, a stunningly one-sided performance to ascend to the top of the bantamweight mountain. Patchy declared himself the best bantamweight on the planet following the win, saying he would have defeated King Kong if necessary.

UNDISPUTED! 👑@TeamMixMMA has done it! Mix submits @sergiopettis to claim the bantamweight world championship in Chicago.#Bellator301 | LIVE NOW | @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/CQL9Axqn2x

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 18, 2023

Official Result: Patchy Mix def. Sergio Pettis by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:51

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A big night even with the questions about the promotion’s future, especially given the winner of Patricky Pitbull and Alexander Shabliy would in theory be moving on to the lightweight grand prix final to face… well, possibly Brent Primus, given rumors he was back in the tournament following Usman Nurmagomedov’s positive drug test.

Headlining Bellator 301 was undefeated welterweight Yaroslav Amosov, taking on top contender Jason Jackson. Amosov entered the fight 27-0, with almost certainly the best record among active fighters regardless of promotion.

Arguably the best two bantamweights on the planet, meanwhile, faced off in a title unification bout when interim champ Patchy Mix took on Sergio Pettis, who was coming in off a defense of his title against Patricio Pitbull.

Where to Watch Bellator 301

Bellator 301 takes place at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL on Friday, November 17, 2023, airing live on Showtime in the U.S. (prelims via the Bellator MMA Youtube channel). In Canada, the full card is available via streaming PPV. Full results from the event, which kicks off at 4:55PM ET, can be found below.

Bellator 301: Amosov vs. Jackson Results

Main Card

Welterweight: Jason Jackson def. Yaroslav Amosov (c) by KO, Round 3, 2:08 — for the Bellator MMA welterweight championship
Bantamweight: Patchy Mix (ic) def. Sergio Pettis (c) by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:51 — for the Bellator MMA bantamweight championship / title unification bout
Bantamweight: Raufeon Stots def. Danny Sabatello by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Lightweight: AJ McKee def. Sidney Outlaw by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Lightweight: Alexander Shabliy def. Patricky Pitbull by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) — Lightweight grand prix semi-final

Preliminary Card

Heavyweight: Tyrell Fortune vs. Marcelo Golm — cancelled due to illness
Lightweight: Archie Colgan def. Pieter Buist by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Flyweight: Denise Kielholtz def. Sumiko Inaba by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight: Timur Khizriev def. Justin Gonzales by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Flyweight: Keri Taylor Melendez def. Sabriye Sengul by submission (guillotine choke), Round 2, 2:06
Bantamweight: Matheus Mattos def. Richard Palencia by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 3:20
Welterweight: Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. Randall Wallace by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 3:49
160-Pound Contract Weight: Islam Mamedov def. Killys Mota by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Featherweight: Cody Law def. Jefferson Pontes by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Lightweight: Tim Wilde def. Mike Hamel by TKO, Round 3, 2:47
Featherweight: Yves Landu def. Isao Kobayashi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The post Bellator 301: Amosov vs. Jackson Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Will Pettis continue his reign at the top? 👊

Bantamweight champ @sergiopettis has been unstoppable under the #Bellator banner. He now faces the challenge of interim-champ @TeamMixMMA! #Bellator301 | Friday, 9pm ET / 6pm PT | @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/f0x9bunyza

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 15, 2023

Earlier this year, Sergio Pettis reminded everyone of who he was in the shark tank of the bantamweight division.  Coming off an injury that required a year long layoff that kept him out of the Grand Prix, Pettis returned to action earlier this year and was able to stave off the celebrated longtime featherweight champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire.  It was a seminal moment; Pettis spoiled Freire’s hopes of being a three division champion and in doing so reintroduced himself to the masses who in 2023 have been spoiled by amazing performances from bantamweights worldwide.

When Pettis entered the UFC at 20 years-old in 2013 with an undefeated record of 9-0, he was a top prospect whom many had their eye on after his celebrated older brother had soared to great heights in the sport.  After knocking on the door of title contention at flyweight, Pettis moved up to bantamweight and took the more immediate opportunities in Bellator in 2020.  It is a move that has panned out well as he added Pitbull to a resume that also boasts former UFC champion Brandon Moreno, former Bellator champions Juan Archuleta and Kyoji Horiguchi, and more.  Ahead of what could be the final Bellator event (or at least the iteration as we know it,) Pettis has an opportunity to further cement himself as the top bantamweight in the world outside of the UFC and be the centerpiece of the weight class in a new home.

Mix is coming for bantamweight gold! 🔥

Will interim-champion @TeamMixMMA dethrone @sergiopettis to become #Bellator's undisputed bantamweight king?

Find out NEXT FRIDAY live on @SHOsports 👊 #Bellator301 pic.twitter.com/6oPV1btvxi

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 8, 2023

But as respected as Pettis is, the man who could take it all from him is Patchy Mix.  Mix is in the midst of a Fighter of the Year campaign of his own after stopping the surging champion Raufeon Stots in the finals of the Grand Prix with a first round jumping knee.  The moment was a beautiful culmination of a professional career that began back in 2016 where he began tearing through the regional scene in King of the Cage and has seen Mix taste defeat only once 19 fights.  Besides the victory over Stots, Mix had also bested Magomed Magomedov, fellow prospects James Gallagher and Ricky Bandejas, and UFC veteran Albert Morales under the Bellator banner.

Friday night could be a triumphant end to one chapter and the beginning of an epic new one for Mix.  He is the one who rides more momentum behind the fashion in which he won the Grand Prix and his level of activity beforehand.  If the PFL does indeed absorb Bellator next year, then the addition of the bantamweight division is expected to be among the first of many new changes.  Should that happen and Mix be the one who is victorious, then it would be he and not Pettis whom the promotion builds the division around.  Of course, that is even assuming things get that far.  With so much uncertainty, it’s completely possible that Mix’s (or anyone else’s for that matter) contract would be dissolved and the UFC, ONE, or any other promotion could also vie for their services in free agency.

Only ONE can be UNDISPUTED! 🙌

Bantamweight champ @sergiopettis and Grand Prix winner @TeamMixMMA collide tomorrow night at the @WintrustArena. Who you got?#Bellator301 | Friday, 9pm ET / 6pm PT | @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/FqzTtF1rtv

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 16, 2023

Exactly where anyone goes from here in Bellator is anyone’s guess and an answer is unlikely to be provided on Friday night.  However, what is certain is that Pettis and Mix are expected to fight in 2024 and the rights to their next fights will be a huge prize for the company that gets to promote their fights.

The post Bellator 301: Pettis and Mix Collide with Big Implications for the Future appeared first on Cageside Press.

Questions about the promotion’s future abound, and there is a chance it’s the last time we see a Bellator card unfold. But until that is official, with the promotion confirmed to be on the auction block, it’s business as usual, with welterweight champ Yaroslav Amosov leading the way in Chicago.

The Ukrainian champion will face off with Jason “The Ass-Kicking Machine” Jackson in Friday’s main event at the Wintrust Arena. Jackson, 33, has won six straight fights to land himself a shot at gold, with victories over the likes of Benson Henderson, Douglas Lima, Paul Daley and others.

In the Bellator 301 co-main event, meanwhile, Sergio Pettis and Patchy Mix were set to unify the Bellator MMA bantamweight championship. Given their pedigree, there was an argument to be made that this fight was not just to determine the best bantamweight in Bellator — Pettis holds the proper title, Mix interim gold — but in the world, as either would certainly be competitive against the likes of Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera.

Ahead of Bellator 301 on Friday, November 17, 2023, the promotion hosted a pre-fight press conference in Chicago. The live stream can be found above and kicks off at 2PM ET.

The post Bellator 301: Amosov vs. Jackson Pre-Fight Press Conference Live Stream appeared first on Cageside Press.

Mix (18-1), Bellator’s interim bantamweight champion and grand prix winner, faces Sergio Pettis in a title unification bout this Friday in Chicago at Bellator 301.

Ahead of the fight, Mix told Cageside Press that “to be honest with you, I’m not really banged up going into this fight. I’m totally healthy. I’m ready to go, ready to rock on Friday night. Ready to go claim that world title. Weight’s on point, team’s here, we’ve been here in Chicago since Sunday. Ready to just go do the job.”

That’s a vast difference from how things played out ahead of his fight against James Gallagher in Dublin, Ireland just over two years ago. For that fight, Mix went it alone, heading to Dublin without any coaches. And he was not happy with his performance, despite securing a submission victory in the third round.

“When I missed weight against Gallagher, I didn’t really train for the fight. I went to Ireland alone without any coaches, I just went by myself because I’m a nut, I’m crazy like that. I missed weight, I went to fight him, ended up winning the fight,” Mix recalled. “And the kid was just so God-awful, it just made me feel like the fight was closer than it needed to be. I was so dog-tired in the fight. It was just my worst performance. I ended up winning, but you could see it in my eyes, the way I look, I don’t even look like the same person. I was really not happy outside of the cage. I took that money because I needed it, I needed to get paid, I needed to work.”

Upon his return from Ireland, Mix had to do a little self-analysis, and make the appropriate changes. Among them, linking up with Tatiana Suarez, and changing who he surrounded himself with.

“I used to just do MMA because I was f*cking good at it. I was not doing the right stuff. I was a 26-year old kid with a bunch of money in my bank account. Good at something, but didn’t know what I wanted to do in life. I was drinking a lot with my friends, going out with friends, always in bars and stuff for a couple years in my twenties,” revealed Mix. “Maybe like 25, 26. Right when I had fought for that title [against Juan Archuleta] and right before that, when I had got signed to Bellator.”

Mix dropped a unanimous decision to Archuleta in September 2020, for the then-vacant bantamweight title. It remains the only loss on his record.

“Getting away from that, I just had to grow up a little, mature a little, and now they see me fully dedicated. I’ve been fully dedicated, completely all in on MMA only for like three fights, and that was once they put me in the million dollar tournament. Before that, I would miss weight against James Gallagher, I was having a lot of stress outside in my life, just my day-to-day life. I had lot of mental health [issues], as a man, that I needed to get under control. And I did. And once I did, you see, I’m always in the gym now, I’m consistently training now, I’m fully dedicated now.”

Partner Tatiana Suarez has helped give Mix balance in his home life as well. Which has everything clicking heading into Bellator 301 in Chicago this Friday against Pettis. As for the fight, Mix wants to see if fellow champ Pettis can hang with him, especially on the ground.

“I want to see if he can handle my skills, I want to see if he can handle me on the floor. My pressure, my presence. I’m just excited to compete against him,” said Mix. “All I can promise is that I’m going to go out there and put on an exciting fight for everyone. One of the last— if it is the last Bellator show, I’m blowing the roof off this b*tch. They say it’s a ‘Windy City,’ and I’m here to blow his ass over.”

Watch our full interview with Bellator interim bantamweight champ Patchy Mix above.

The post Bellator 301: Patchy Mix Only All In on MMA For Last Three Fights appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Wednesday, promotion officials announced the Bellator 301 is set for the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL on November 17, 2023, with a pair of title fights headlining. The first will see welterweight champ Yaroslav Amosov put his belt on the line against top contender Jason Jackson, while the co-main event will feature a title unification bout between bantamweight kingpin Sergio Pettis and interim champ/grand prix winner Patchy Mix.

Promotion officials confirmed the news to Cageside Press on Wednesday following an announcement on The MMA Hour. A subsequent press release revealed several promising additions to the card, including a 135lb showdown between Danny Sabatello and Raufeon Stots which should be something of a grudge match, and a lightweight grand prix semi-final between Patricky Pitbull and Alexander Shabliy.

Amosov (27-0) returned to action earlier this year after taking time off to help in the defense of his native Ukraine following Russia’s invasion. The undefeated standout earned a unanimous decision win over Logan Storley for that effort.

Opponent Jackson (16-4) has won six straight fights, all via unanimous decision. The list of names falling to “The Ass-Kicking Machine” is nothing short of impressive, with wins over Benson Henderson, Paul Daley, Neiman Gracie, and Douglas Lima in that stretch.

Pettis (23-5) is undefeated dating back to the end of his UFC stint, with six straight wins since 2019. Most recently, he earned a unanimous decision against former double-champ and current 145lb title holder Patricio Pitbull.

As for Patchy Mix (18-1), he defeated Kyoji Horiguchi, Magomed Magomedov, and Raufeon Stots to win Bellator’s million dollar bantamweight grand prix.

The newly revealed Bellator 301 card on November 17, 2023 breaks down as follows:

Main Card

• Yaroslav Amosov (c) vs. Jason Jackson — for the Bellator MMA welterweight championship
• Sergio Pettis (c) vs. Patchy Mix (ic) — for the Bellator MMA bantamweight championship / title unification bout
• Patricky Pitbull vs. Alexander Shabliy — Lightweight grand prix semifinal
• Raufeon Stots vs. Danny Sabatello

Preliminary Card

• Daniel James vs. Ali Isaev
• Tyrell Fortune vs. Marcelo Golm
• Timur Khizriev vs. Justin Gonzales
• Mike Hamel vs. Tim Wilde
• Denise Kielholtz vs. Sumiko Inaba
• Islam Mamedov vs. Killys Mota

The post Bellator 301 Set for Chicago with Two Title Fights Headlining November Card appeared first on Cageside Press.

The latest report put out by ‘Stand Em Up’ claims that the last Bellator event will possibly be Bellator 299 on September 23 in Dublin, Ireland – an event headlined by undefeated middleweight champion Johnny Eblen and title challenger Fabian Edwards – younger brother of current UFC welterweight king Leon Edwards.

Bellator, however, has other plans in store.

While MMA fans around the world clamor in anticipation for a historic UFC 300 card set to take place in the spring of 2024, Bellator is looking to put on a 300th show of their own this fall, according to sources.

While contracts are yet to be signed, sealed, and delivered, the organization is hoping to assemble another exciting spectacle, one that could include numerous championship bouts, and one that could potentially cap off a remarkable run for Bellator MMA, a show that began nearly 15 years ago with an event notably featuring Eddie Alvarez and Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal. 

In terms of locale, Bellator is looking at San Diego as a likely destination for the landmark 300th event, though there are two other options still on the table. While the promotion is based in California, it has only hosted one event in “America’s Finest City,” a night that saw Will Brooks knock out Michael Chandler and Tito Ortiz defeat the late Stephan Bonnar. 

Though nothing is set in stone, potential bouts include an exciting five-round scrap between heavyweight champion Ryan Bader and title hopeful Linton “Big Swarm” Vassell, which is in discussions to main event the card. Also a potential for the card, Sergio Pettis and $1M winner Patchy Mix look to unify the bantamweight strap, according to sources.

News, rumors, and everything in between will continue to circulate around the MMA community regarding the fate of Bellator, though one thing remains clear: There is still life. 

The post The Show Must Go On: San Diego Among Potential Locations For Bellator’s 300th Event appeared first on Cageside Press.

Both fighters, set to unify the championship later this year, have agreed to long-term deals with the promotion, Bellator officials announced on Thursday.

While no date is set for their title unification bout, Thursday’s press release notes that the fight will be officially announced soon.

Pettis moved to Bellator from the UFC in 2020, leaving behind the flyweight division in doing so. He immediately found success, winning his first two bouts for the company and earning a title shot against then-champ Juan Archuleta.

Picking up a decision over Archuleta to claim gold, Pettis then knocked out ex-champ Kyoji Horiguchi in his first title defense. The Milwaukee native had been expected to then feature in the promotion’s bantamweight grand prix, but was forced out due to injury.

Instead, he returned to action last month, defeating featherweight and former lightweight champ Patricio Pitbull, who had dropped weight looking to claim a third title.

Mix, meanwhile, is the man who ran the gauntlet in the grand prix, defeating Horiguchi, Magomed Magomedov, and Raufeon Stots to claim a million dollars, and the promotion’s interim bantamweight title.

No specifics regarding these latest contract extensions were provided in Thursday’s announcement, but it does have the promotion locking up two of its top 135’ers.

The post Bellator MMA Extends Contracts of Champs Sergio Pettis, Patchy Mix Ahead of Title Fight appeared first on Cageside Press.

“Yeah man out of nowhere. I’ve been working that shot, me and Nate Pettit, my coaches. Right before walked out we were drilling good and it landed, you know, I put him out with it,” Mix told reporters at his post-fight scrum.

Mix (18-1) mentioned that he developed the knee because he’s a south paw and going against orthodox fighters left an opening for him to land it.

Mix is mostly known for being a grappler, but he wants his respect as a striker as well. After Saturday night it’ll be pretty hard to deny the request.

“No one outworks me or no one out-bullies me or beats me up. So I’m thinking I know I don’t have a lot of knockouts because I’m very good on the ground, but don’t think I can’t put your lights out because I shoot in and try to strangle you,” he said.

“It’s just the easiest way to win.”

Now onto the business of unifying the bantamweight titles. Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis is scheduled to defend his title against Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 297 in Chicago, IL on June 17.

“I don’t know if Pettis really wants to fight me. I knew he was picking Rauf to win. I don’t know how he could pick that, but I don’t think Pettis really wants to fight me,” Mix said.

The fact that Pettis picked Stots to win seemed to irk the new interim champion and he offered a prediction of his own.

“I think Pitbull takes it. You know you can’t pick against him. I want to fight the pound-for-pound number 1. Like let Pitbull take it,” he said.

“I’m hoping he wins and I could fight the best.”

At the end of the day Mix knows he will have to face either Pitbull or Pettis soon after Belator 297. He hopes to prove he’s the #1 pound-for-pound fighter on the roster.

“I don’t know if they’re worried about me. I think they’re just worried about their task at hand at the moment. I believe I’m the best bantamweight in the world. I train with the top guys in the world, some of the best in the world, I believe I’m the best bantamweight 135-pounder in the world today,” said Mix.

“I’m just getting better. I’m just growing into my prime now.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Patchy Mix above.

The post Patchy Mix Talks Million Dollar Knee, Says Pettis Doesn’t Want Him Next appeared first on Cageside Press.