Patrick Mix Practiced Knee That Knocked Out Raufeon Stots at Bellator 295

Though he’s known primarily as a submission specialist, Patrick Mix proved he has other weapons in his arsenal in the Bellator 295 headliner on Saturday night.

The New York native completed his run through the Bellator bantamweight grand prix by knocking out Raufeon Stots with a perfectly-timed knee 1:20 into Round 1 of their encounter at the Neil S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. While it was just the second career KO/TKO triumph for Mix, it was something he anticipated heading into his matchup with Stots.

“I’ve been working that shot. Right before we walked out, we were drilling good, and it landed. We put him out,” Mix said at the post-fight press conference. “I developed that knee because, as a southpaw, I’m going against orthodox styles. I’ve been working that shot since 18 months ago in Ireland. I knew that Stots shoots. He’s so naive to think that I’m just a grappler. I’m a dog in the gym. No one outworks me. I know I don’t have a lot of knockouts, because I submit people, but don’t think I’m not a striker. It’s just the easiest way to win.”

Mix’s past experience with Stots led him to believe he’d have an advantage in the grand prix final.

“He trained with me ahead of the Horiguchi fight,” Mix said. “It gave me a benchmark: to work harder than I saw him working. Not only did I believe I could submit him because my training partners have submitted him in the past, but that I could knock him out of the feet. When I do what I do, I finish that guy every day of the week.”

Though Stots engaged in some pre-fight trash talk prior to Bellator 295, Mix didn’t find any extra satisfaction in an emphatic knockout victory.

“As much as I thought it would be, it wasn’t,” he said. “There’s nothing satisfying about putting someone out cold. He’s got a family. We’ve both got kids. I never want to hurt him. Hearing his story, it’s similar to mine. It’s just that we’re fighting for the same prize. Two bad it couldn’t be two $500,000 checks.

“It’s a cruel game, but that’s the game we play. If it’s not him, it’s me, and I’m not gonna let that happen. I want to see him again because he was talking s—t and I was talking s—t. I don’t think he’s going home thinking that I’m better than him, just that I caught him. I hope to see him again down the line.”

With the victory, Mix earns $1 million and claims the interim bantamweight belt. Now he awaits the winner of the showdown between undisputed 135-pound champ Sergio Pettis and Patricio Freire, which is scheduled for Bellator 297 on June 16.

“I don’t know if Pettis wants to fight me. He picked Stots to win, and I don’t know how he could do that,” Mix said. “I think Pitbull takes it; you can’t pick against him. I want to fight the pound-for-pound No. 1. I want to fight the best.

“Regardless, I believe I’m the best bantamweight in the world today. I’m just getting better. I’m just growing into my prime now. My first loss was because of my pride and immaturity. Now I’m older and wise. I’m totally evolved. Im not just a grappler. I can do everything, and I’m here to prove it.”