Patrick Mix lived up to the hype that was tied to his Bellator debut this past weekend, and after the quick win, the undefeated bantamweight outlined why he decided to go with the promotion.
For a little while now, prospect observers have been tracking the 25-year-old Mix, on account of his impressive run with King of the Cage. The 11-0 fighter, who also went 11-0 in amateur bouts, made his Bellator debut on Friday and submitted Ricky Bandejas in 66 seconds.
After the impressive victory, Mix had this to say, while discussing why he chose Bellator for the next stage of his career (quotes via MMA Junkie):
“When I got offered I felt like Bellator was the best decision,” Mix said. “My manager Ali [Abdelaziz], he sent me a few different choices and I liked the Bellator route. I liked how the bantamweight division looked, and I liked how I can build. So when I was offered Ricky, I was very excited to really make my mark here.”
Bellator has also signed some other notable prospects in recent years, like Ed Ruth, Tyrell Fortune and Fabian Edwards, among others. So, Mix isn’t the only person who’s decided Bellator provided the best opportunities for them starting out. While the UFC remains the biggest stage in the MMA world, and has massive promotional reach, it’s also easier to get lost in the shuffle.
Mix was asked about possibly facing Juan Archuletta next, who bombed out former bantamweight champ Eduardo Dantas at Bellator 222. Mix had this to say:
“No, I think [Archuleta’s] earned his title shot,” Mix said. “He’s had a lot of fights in Bellator. I’m still building and growing myself. I seen that right before I walked out [and] figured he got his title shot. Dantas got knocked out cold. I was looking at the next big name after I took out Ricky. I want to matchup with [James] Gallagher if he pulls through next weekend.”
That could be an interesting fight. Although, Gallagher might want to see Mix win a couple more bouts with Bellator before signing on. The Irish fighter is scheduled to face Jeremiah Labiano at Bellator’s card in London this Saturday.
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