Patrick Mix doesn’t game plan for his opponents. He coordinates them and then annihilates them. From flying knees to rear-naked chokes, there’s no technique the Bellator MMA bantamweight champion won’t use to end a fight. Just ask Magomed Magomedov.
“I have to give him props,” Magomedov said on Thursday’s Bellator Champions Series Paris media call. In the first fight, he surprised me. He used his distance to his advantage. This time I’m approaching the fight differently and people should expect war. ”
Mix (19-1) hasn’t had a tough fight since his only loss about four years ago. After submitting Magomedov in 2022, Mix started Laufeon Stotts and Sergio Pettis the following year. Now, he rules the division with his fearsome fists, but he wants to prove he’s the best 135-pounder in the world, even if it means defeating his former opponent.
“It’s not just me. It’s the people I’m fighting for too,” Mix said. “This guy is 20-3 with 14 finishes. He beat Petr Yan to become the ACB Champion. He’s already fought him once, and he’s also fought Stotts, Pettis, and other top names. . I’m finishing them off, so I think I’m getting the respect I deserve.”
“I don’t base my game on a game plan,” Mix added. “I just adjust on the fly. I’m confident in my abilities no matter where I am… most of my opponents just try to survive, but
[Magomedov,] He almost goes for the finish. He is a hunter himself. I think his style is different from other opponents. ”
Magomedov may be an underdog heading into their May 17 rematch, but the Moscow native isn’t afraid to step up to the plate. In his first fight, he was frustrated and controlled by Mix’s outside reach, leading to reckless pursuit of takedowns. He soon woke up with his first submission loss.
Despite the setback, Magomedov got another crack at the mix eight months later with a stunning performance. Magomedov took Danny Sabatello’s breath away with his own guillotine and put himself back in the title picture. But has he grown enough to defeat the champion?
Magomedov said, “It’s been a year and a half since we met, but I hope that we’ve both grown as fighters.” “My tank is full. I can do five rounds, 10 rounds, anything. I have unfinished business. This time I’m going to come out in front.”
