Former Bellator MMA champion Patchy Mix has signed with the UFC and already has his first matchup set, only several days after becoming a free agent.
Mix will face Mario Bautista in a featured bantamweight bout at UFC 316 on June 7 in New Jersey, the organization announced Saturday.
The 31-year-old from Angola, N.Y., was Bellator’s 135-pound champion and boasts a 20-1 pro MMA record.
Mix had been one of the fighters to publicly express frustration with how the Professional Fighters League (PFL) handled his matchmaking after the organization enveloped Bellator late in 2023.
PFL announced earlier in the week that the organization and fighter had “mutually agreed to not extend his contract” and that they wished Mix “all the best in his future.”
Mix won an interim Bellator title with a highlight knockout of Raufeon Stots in 2023 and later that year unified the title when he submitted Sergio Pettis. He also holds a notable victory over Kyoji Horiguchi, who recently rejoined the UFC.
Bautista, also 31, is riding a seven-fight winning streak that includes an October win over former UFC champion and Hall of Famer Jose Aldo. Bautista was originally expected to face Marlon Vera at UFC 316.
