Patchy Mix Vows to Finish Magomed Magomedov Again in Rematch

Patrick Mix doesn’t gameplan for opponents. He adjusts and then annihilates them. From flying knees to rear-naked chokes, there’s no technique the Bellator MMA bantamweight champion won’t use to finish a fight. Just ask Magomed Magomedov.

“I have to give him props,” Magomedov said on the Bellator Champions Series Paris media call Thursday. In the first fight, he surprised me. He used his distance to his benefit. This time, I’m approaching the fight differently, and people should expect a war.”

Mix (19-1) hasn’t seen a tough fight since his lone loss nearly four years ago. After submitting Magomedov in 2022, Mix spent the following year starching Raufeon Stots and Sergio Pettis. Today he rules the division with a fearsome fist but wants to prove he’s the best 135-pounder in the world — even if he has to take out former opponents to do it.

“It’s not just me; it’s also the people that I’m fighting,” Mix said. “This guy’s 20-3 with 14 finishes. He’s got a win over Petr Yan and was an ACB champion. I’ve already fought him once, as well as Stots, Pettis and the other top names. I think I’m getting the respect I deserve because I’m finishing these guys.”

“I don’t really look at any of my fights with a gameplan,” Mix added. “I just adjust on the fly. I’m confident in my abilities anywhere … Most of my opponents try to just survive but as for [Magomedov,] he mostly goes for the finish. He’s a hunter himself. I think his style is different than all the opponents.”

Magomedov may be underdog heading into the May 17 rematch, but the Moscow native isn’t afraid to go out on his shield. In the first fight, he was frustrated and controlled by Mix's reach on the outside and got reckless chasing a takedown. He woke up to his first submission loss soon after.

Despite the setback, Magomedov earned another crack at Mix with a masterful performance eight months later. Magomedov took Danny Sabatello’s breath away with a guillotine of his own and put himself back into the title picture. But has he improved enough to take down the champ?

“It’s been a year and a half since we’ve seen each other and I hope we both grew as fighters,” Magomedov said. "My tank is full. We can do five rounds, 10 rounds, you name it. We have unfinished business, and this time, I'm going to be the one coming forward."