The UFC has confirmed that former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix has signed with the promotion, making the announcement prior to the main event of UFC Vegas 106 on May 17.
The UFC added the confirmation that Mix will make his debut on short notice at UFC 316 in Newark on June 7, filling in for Marlon “Chito” Vera against Mario Bautista.
Mix is 20-1 in professional MMA and was a part of the Bellator roster from 2019 until the promotion’s folding in 2024. His sole loss came in his first title fight, suffering a comeback loss at the hands of Juan Archuleta in a bantamweight title fight at Bellator 246.
Patchy Mix Signs With UFC, Will Face Mario Bautista At UFC 316
Mix, however, ran through Kyoji Horiguchi, Magomed Magomedov and Raufeon Stots to win the Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix and the interim Bellator bantamweight title before defeating Sergio Pettis at Bellator 301 to become undisputed Bellator bantamweight champion.
Mix defended the title in a controversial split decision win at the Bellator Champions Series held in Paris one year ago today. He then had a tumultuous public falling out with the PFL, who purchased Bellator at the end of 2023, before he and the promotion officially parted ways on May 13.
Bautista has won seven straight and last fought at UFC 307, scoring a controversial decision win over Jose Aldo.
UFC 316 will be headlined a pair of title fights. The main event will see Sean O’Malley challenge Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight title rematch from their Noche UFC 2 encounter. The co-main event features Julianna Pena defending the UFC women’s bantamweight title against former PFL champion Kayla Harrison.
