Sergio Pettis and Patchy Mix looked to prove who the best bantamweight in Bellator MMA, and perhaps even the world, was at Bellator 301 on Friday night.
The pair’s title unification bout served as the evening’s co-main event, but given the run both men had been on, it was arguably the most prestigious fight on the card.
Roughly 90 seconds in, Mix hoisted Pettis up over his shoulder, though the slam takedown that was expected to follow was less slam and more laying Pettis on his back. Still, on top was just were Patchy Mix, with an embarrassment of riches in the submission department, wanted to be.
Working from bottom, on the other hand, was where Sergio Pettis did not want to be. Pettis got his butterfly guard in place, looking to lift Mix off him to no avail. Instead, Mix moved to side control, and throughout the round, showed what was widely believed ahead of the bout: in the grappling department, he almost certainly had the edge.
Round two saw the pair go the ground roughly a minute in, with Mix locking up a body triangle in quick succession. Before long, Patchy Mix had an arm under the neck, and it was soon in tight like a vice! While Pettis refused to tap, the ref intervened just as he started going out, checking the now-former champ’s arm (Pettis may have actually signaled his submission to the ref). Either way, no complaint about the stoppage from Sergio Pettis, who was clearly either out, or well on his way.
As for Mix, a stunningly one-sided performance to ascend to the top of the bantamweight mountain. Patchy declared himself the best bantamweight on the planet following the win, saying he would have defeated King Kong if necessary.
UNDISPUTED! 👑@TeamMixMMA has done it! Mix submits @sergiopettis to claim the bantamweight world championship in Chicago.#Bellator301 | LIVE NOW | @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/CQL9Axqn2x
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) November 18, 2023
Official Result: Patchy Mix def. Sergio Pettis by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 1:51
