Bellator champ Patchy Mix vents frustrations with PFL, wants release

“Why am I not fighting? Why am I sitting on the sidelines, basically wasting my prime years?”

Those two question sum up Patchy Mix’s issue with the PFL.

Mix, the bantamweight champion of recently-defunct Bellator promotion, finds himself under PFL contract, but with no fights or clear career trajectory. That’s why Mix has been vocal on social media, putting PFL on blast, while asking for his release, so he can resume his fighting career.

“I have to voice it because I’m in the prime of my career, and not only because I’m in the prime of my career, but because I’m the best bantamweight in the world,” Mix told MMA Junkie Radio. “(My record is) 20-1 and 15 finishes, and I’ve been shelved. I’ve had one fight in the last 14 months. I do very well with activity, my whole career. This is the longest layoff of my career.”

PFL purchased Bellator in November 2023, continues operations in 2024, and recently announced the promotion will no longer continue, and all fights will be promoted under the PFL banner. During that span, Mix has only fought once, defending his Bellator bantamweight belt against Magomed Magomedov in May 2024. He was supposed to fight in November, but a two weeks prior to the event, PFL canceled the entire show.

“I’ve had to fights canceled without being compensated,” Mix said. “I’ve spent thousands and thousands of dollars to bring my corner men and coaches out for those fights. First November in Paris, and then January in Dubai.”

Mix, No. 3 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, is on a seven-fight win streak, which includes victories over notable names Sergio Pettis and Kyoji Horiguchi. He’s widely regarded among the best 135-pound fighters on the planet, and looked in world-class form during his run through the Bellator grand prix in 2023.

Mix, 31, said any momentum he picked up between 2021 and 2023 has died down, while the frustration has mounted. He still considers himself the best on the planet, but feels PFL has derailed his opportunity to prove it, and would prefer to part ways and joint he UFC.

“A lot of it has to do with momentum, and I’m a momentum fighter,” Mix said. “My whole entire career, between amateur and professional, I’m 31 wins and one loss and I have fought for the last 11 years 32 times. So every four or five months I’m fighting consistently, and I’ve never had to deal with injuries … So to have that momentum ripped out, don’t know what they promotion, don’t know what happens with my contract, don’t know what happens with my belt, and next thing you know I’m sitting out for a long time. … My momentum is kind of done and I have to go through a war, and they’re now sitting me for another 10 months to a year. Momentum is hard to attain in this game, but there’s no doubt in my mind, I just need the fights to stay active.

“If they don’t want to let me fight, then release me, and in 365 days, I will be the UFC champion.”