With Marlon Vera out of the fight, Mario Bautista has a new opponent for UFC 316, and it’s another big free agent signing.
Following in the footsteps of Michael “Venom” Page, Patrico Pitbull, and Aaron Pico, Patchy Mix, former Bellator MMA bantamweight champ, has signed on with the UFC, and will step in on short notice to face Bautista at the Newark, New Jersey-based Pay-Per-View event.
Mix was granted his release by the PFL just days ago, and was widely expected to ink a deal with the UFC. Promotion officials announced the booking of Mix vs. Bautista during Saturday’s UFC Vegas 106 broadcast, following a report by Magic MMA Bets.
Bautista (15-2) has been on a tear, stringing together seven straight wins including victories over Ricky Simon and most recently, former UFC featherweight champ and Hall of Famer Jose Aldo (controversial as that decision might be).
Mario Bautista is ranked #10 in the UFC’s bantamweight division at present.
Mix (20-1) last fought in May of 2024, defeating Magomed Magomedov at a Bellator Champions Series event. A fight with Leandro Higo had been announced for Paris last November, but the entire card was scrapped, leaving Mix in limbo, despite still holding Bellator’s old 135lb title.
At the start of 2025, the PFL mothballed Bellator, rebranding it the PFL Champions Series.
UFC 316 is headlined by the rematch between bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley. Julianna Pena and Kayla Harrison, for Pena’s 135lb title, is set as the co-headliner. Mario Bautista vs. Patchy Mix is expected to be part of the event’s main card, live on Pay-Per-View at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
