Bellator 301: Patchy Mix's uphill journey to winning $1m before Sergio Pettis title fight
- Published
Patchy Mix knocks out Raufeon Stots to win at Bellator 295
Bellator 301 | |
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Venue: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois Date: Friday 17 November | |
Coverage: Watch the prelims live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app from 22:00 GMT with the main card from 02:00 GMT | |
What does it feel like to win $1m (£807,000) from a single fight?
Euphoric? breathtaking? Surreal?
It's a question most of us will never get to answer, but one person who can is Patchy Mix and his response branches down a different path of emotions.
"It felt like you're not struggling anymore, like your family's not struggling anymore," Mix tells BBC Sport.
"It made me feel that sense of we're always chasing our next pay cheque and we're never able to get completely by. And this for me was everyone in my family can breathe easy at night. They don't have to work and miss their kids, and slave away all day.
"Being able to take care of my family, that meant the most to me."
Interim champion Mix won the $1m prize in April when he knocked out Raufeon Stots in the final of Bellator's Bantamweight World Grand Prix.
It was the biggest bout of the 30-year-old American's seven-year MMA career, and a moment which was a culmination of a life spent fighting since the moment he was born.
Mix was born prematurely in New York, arriving "a few months" before his due date at just 1lb 8oz (680g).
Growing up, Mix was a lot smaller than other kids his age, until he had a growth spurt during high school.
Mix's household, consisting of his mum and three siblings, also did not have much money, which is why his overwhelming emotion when winning $1m was relief.
"We didn't really have a lot growing up, my mum had food stamps and stuff," said Mix.
"I just remember various ways to get money. I'd sell my school lunch to get a dollar, I'd go and beat up another kid in an arranged fight for 20 bucks. I'd play football for 20 bucks.
"Then I'd go and buy bread, eggs and milk and stuff. We just had to find a way."
The next obstacle for Mix to overcome is American bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis, who he faces in a unification fight at Bellator 301 in Chicago, Illinois on Friday.
"I'll probably buy a house in Buffalo for [my mum] at the end of the year, after this fight," said Mix.
"This opportunity, a world title comes with life-changing money and I don't plan to let it go to waste."
'I'm a super big fan of Pettis'
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The interim title was created when defending champion Pettis, 30, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in 2022 and had to pull out of the Bantamweight Grand Prix.
Mix then won the tournament and the interim belt, setting up the undisputed title fight with Pettis, who returned to action in June, beating Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire.
The pair have history, with Mix being part of Pettis' fight camp for his UFC bout with Brandon Moreno in 2017.
The experience left a lasting impression on Mix.
"The only standout memory I have is how respectful and how much of a genuine nice dude he was," said Mix.
"He was headlining a UFC card and he was just as much a normal, nice person as the next person.
"I'm actually a super big fan of him from that moment moving forward. It's cool to see his success since he's left the UFC."
Despite the pair being former training partners, Mix is expecting the experience to have little impact on the fight.
"Myself versus him in 2023 is a way different version. We both can strike, we both grapple now, we can both do it all, and it will be a true test of our skills," said Mix.
"We're the same age, just two days apart, so we're both entering our prime and I'm very excited to see how it goes.
"I feel he's the most dangerous opponent I've ever had. He's very crafty, got very good kickboxing and very good jiu-jitsu."
Although Mix respects Pettis as a fighter and a person, he is expecting to come out on top when the pair face off on Friday.
"Overall I'm planning on having a masterclass and trumping him. This is chess not chequers, and I'm six moves ahead of all these guys," said Mix.
"I'm here to run him over Friday night, put him down, smash him, then pick him back up.
"My dreams, my goals, everything, he's in the way. I need this belt, this win. I'm here for the undisputed title and I'm not looking to go 25 minutes, I'm looking to put him away."