Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix believes he should be in 'Fighter of the Year' conversation
Patchy Mix has become one of Bellator's most successful homegrown stars and believes that he should be included in the conversation for Fighter of the Year.
'No Love' fought twice this year and finished both his opponents in spectacular fashion. He dropped Raufeon Stots with a devastating knee to the face that earned him a first-round knockout and won him both the $1 million bantamweight Grand Prix and interim bantamweight championship.
Patchy Mix carried his momentum from the Grand Prix into last night's Bellator 301 as he submitted Sergio Pettis via rear-naked choke in the second round to become the undisputed Bellator bantamweight champion.
During his post-fight press conference following his submission win, the bantamweight champion mentioned that he believes his performances make a strong case for Fighter of the Year. He said:
"I feel like I could be one of the fighters of the year. You know, within a year's frame, I choked Magomed Magomedov to sleep - he's never been finished. I knocked Raufeon Stots out cold - he was on an 11-fight win streak...And I'm the first one to finish Sergio [Pettis] in eight years...I feel like the run I put together was a testament of my team." [4:09 - 4:42]
It will be interesting to see whether Patchy Mix is included in the Fighter of the Year conversation when media members vote at the end of the year.
Check out the full video:
Which fighters did Patchy Mix defeat in the Bellator bantamweight Grand Prix?
Patchy Mix has been on an incredible run in Bellator and showcased his potential in the bantamweight Grand Prix.
Despite a tough road to the finals, 'No Love' made all his fights look easy. He earned a dominant unanimous decision win over former Bellator and Rizin bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi in the opening round, an impressive second-round submission win over Magomed Magomedov in the semi-finals, and a spectacular first-round knockout over Raufeon Stots in the finals to win the $1 million Grand Prix.