NEWARK, N.J. — Former Bellator champion Patchy Mix spoke at the UFC 316 media day about his long-awaited octagon debut. He expressed confidence that a victory over Mario Bautista would significantly advance his position in the bantamweight title picture. Mix also touched upon how his relationship with UFC strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez has positively influenced his career, among other topics.
Mix, holding a 20-1 record, was widely recognized as the premier bantamweight outside the UFC before his signing in May. He is stepping into this fight as a replacement for the originally scheduled opponent, Marlon Vera, who withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Since his only professional loss to Juan Archuleta in September 2020, Mix has been on a remarkable run, securing seven consecutive wins against high-profile opponents like Kyoji Horiguchi, Sergio Pettis, and Raufeon Stots.
Mario Bautista, with a 15-2 record, also brings a seven-fight winning streak into Saturday`s contest. His most recent outing was a split decision victory over Jose Aldo at UFC 307 last October. He aims to seize the spotlight currently on Mix and solidify his own standing as a leading contender for the UFC bantamweight title.
