At a recent media day event for UFC 316, former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Patchy Mix addressed various topics concerning his highly anticipated debut in the octagon. He shared his thoughts on finally competing under the UFC banner, expressed confidence that a victory over Mario Bautista would solidify his position within the bantamweight title picture, and spoke about how his relationship with UFC strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez has positively impacted his career, among other subjects.
Mix, who holds a professional record of 20 wins and 1 loss, was widely regarded as the top bantamweight fighter outside of the UFC prior to his signing with the promotion in May. He is stepping in as a replacement opponent for Mario Bautista, following the withdrawal of longtime contender Marlon Vera due to unspecified reasons.
Since suffering his only career defeat to Juan Archuleta in September 2020, Mix has compiled an impressive streak of seven consecutive victories. This run includes significant wins over prominent fighters such as Kyoji Horiguchi, Sergio Pettis, and Raufeon Stots.
Mario Bautista, with a record of 15 wins and 2 losses, is also entering this Saturday`s bout on a strong seven-fight winning streak. His most recent outing saw him secure a split decision victory against Jose Aldo at UFC 307 last October. Bautista aims to leverage this fight against the highly-touted Mix to elevate his own profile and establish himself as a premier contender for the UFC bantamweight championship.
