Patchy Mix, the former Bellator bantamweight champion, has spoken about a conversation he had with Merab Dvalishvili prior to joining the UFC. Mix was recently released from his PFL contract and quickly confirmed his signing with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, making him a highly sought-after free agent move in MMA.
Mix is set to make his promotional debut at UFC 316, stepping in as a replacement for the injured Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera to face Mario Bautista.
Mix`s Conversation with Dvalishvili
Patchy Mix and Merab Dvalishvili share a long-standing relationship as training partners. Dvalishvili himself is scheduled to compete on the same UFC 316 card, headlining the event in a UFC Bantamweight title defense against Sean O’Malley.
The possibility of the two training partners facing each other for the 135lb title looms, especially if both secure wins at UFC 316. Addressing this potential matchup, Mix stated it would be “just business.”
Mix recounted their prior discussion: “A couple of months ago, when I saw him at the gym, I wanted to be upfront. I told him my PFL situation was uncertain, and I might join the UFC. Given my success as a three-time champion and my dominant performances in recent years, I knew I`d quickly move towards the top of the division.”
He continued, “I made it clear to him, man-to-man, that I could potentially be coming over here, and that if we ended up fighting, I hoped it would be for the title down the road. I`m doing this for my family, and winning that title is key to setting your family up for life. So, it doesn’t matter who is in the way. It doesn’t matter who.”
Aljamain Sterling`s Reaction
Former UFC Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, a close friend and longtime training partner of Merab Dvalishvili, also weighed in on Patchy Mix`s arrival in the UFC. Sterling and Dvalishvili famously refused to fight each other when they were both top contenders in the division.
Now competing in the featherweight division, Sterling expressed his interest in seeing how the dynamic between Mix and Merab will evolve.
Sterling commented on the situation via social media:
“With this Patchy Mix interview, it’ll be interesting to see how things go from here. Merab and I have both trained with him a bunch. All interesting to see how things change. Obviously Mix has goals. That’s not overlooked.”
