Patrick Mix: 'I Can Choke Out Anyone in the World'

Patrick Mix is feeling quite confident after submitting Magomed Magomedov in the semifinals of Bellator MMA’s bantamweight grand prix.

Mix will square off against interim king Raufeon Stots, who defeated Danny Sabatello via split decision in the other half of the bracket, at a Bellator event sometime in 2023.

“I’ve been telling everyone all f—-ing weekend: I’m the favorite to win the tournament,” Mix said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “You know why? You see those two guys on the other side? I can submit them too. Sabatello puts himself in that same position 100 times. I was already confident against him. Seeing Magomed and Stots’ fight, and how my fight went with [Magomedov], I feel good about that.”

Mix used a guillotine to render Magomedov unconscious 2:39 into the second round of the 135-pound clash at Bellator 289 on Friday. “Patchy” has earned 12 of his 17 career triumphs by submission — including four via guillotine.

“I got a mean guillotine, and I can choke out anyone in the world with it,” Mix said. “I saw in the [Enrique] Barzola fight that he’s susceptible to the guillotine, but Maga’s got a great warrior spirit, and I knew I’d have to put him out.”

Mix possesses a dangerous skill set that discourages takedowns, and he promises that he’s still only getting better.

“They [my opponents] weren’t trying to [take me down] anyways. That’s my 12th submission. I was seconds away from submitting Juan Archuleta, and I’d be 18-0,” Mix said. “If I was on level five before, I’m on level 50 now. They don’t have to worry about what I did tonight, they have to worry about what I’m going to do next fight. Me and my team, we’re going to get back in the gym. We got a big fight coming up.”

While Stots owns interim 135-pound gold, the long-term goal is a showdown with undisputed bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis, who is in the process of recovering from a knee injury.

“Me and Sergio, we trained. I’ve got nothing but respect for Sergio,” Mix said. “I wish him a good recovery. My girl had ACL surgery, and I’ve got nothing but respect for anyone who’s going through that injury. We can stand across from one another and meet in the middle.”