For the second time this year, Patchy Mix will put his Bellator bantamweight title on the line in the French capital.
After unifying the titles and securing undisputed status with a submission of Sergio Pettis at Bellator 301 last November, Mix returned for his first defense — and first appearance following the PFL's acquisition of his organization — this past May.
At the second Bellator Champions Series event, the 30-year-old retained possession of his gold by narrow margins inside Paris' Accor Arena, falling on the right side of a split decision verdict in a rematch against Magomed Magomedov.
He'll be looking for a more definitive victory when he returns to France this November, where a first-time matchup with Brazil's Leandro Higo awaits him at the Adidas Arena.
The Bellator main event was announced in a PFL press release this week, alongside a co-headliner between Oliver Enkamp and the highly regarded and undefeated Baissangour "Baki" Chamsoudinov, who look set to be the main attraction for the home crowd.
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Mix vs. Higo Headlines In Paris, 'Baki' Makes Bellator Champions Series Debut
When Mix and "Baki" appear in the headline positions on November 16, both will be looking to secure their second Paris triumphs of 2024.
Mix (20-1) faced a tougher than predicted challenge from Magomedov in their rematch, going the distance in a competitive affair almost two years on from his second-round submission of the Russian at Bellator 289 in Connecticut. Nevertheless, "No Love" had his hand raised and remained among the names outside of the UFC who are heralded as being in the world's elite at 135 pounds.
In Higo (23-6), Mix will face an opponent looking to achieve title glory at the second time of trying. "Alter" previously fell short of the bantamweight gold against Darrion Caldwell back in 2018. Since a loss to Aaron Pico that same year, the Brazilian has won five of six, most recently winning back-to-back outings against Nikita Mikhailov and James Gallagher to secure number one contender status.
While headliner Mix emerged victorious at a Bellator Champions Series event in Paris this year, co-main event star Chamsoudinov (8-0) extended his undefeated record in controversial fashion under the PFL Europe banner. "Baki" competed in a highly anticipated main event against fellow French standout Cédric Doumbé this past March, but their bout came to an anticlimactic end in round three after the former Glory Kickboxing champion's calls to remove a splinter from his toe resulted in Marc Goddard waving the contest off.
In the aftermath of that win, "Baki" appeared to take issue with the time it took for the PFL to pay him fully, and reports subsequently suggested a UFC signing was on the cards for the free agent. That ultimately didn't come to fruition, with the Frenchman instead putting pen to paper on a deal with the PFL instead.
To record a more definitive win on home soil this year in what will be his Bellator Champions Series debut, "Baki" is tasked with getting past Enkamp (11-4). The Swedish 32-year-old competed six times for Bellator following an 0-2 run in the UFC. Among a number of notable highlights is the rare buggy choke he secured at Bellator 281 in London just over two years ago.
