Patchy Mix destroyed interim Bellator bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots to capture the belt and win the bantamweight grand prix in the headliner of Bellator 295.
Mix caught Stots with a standing knee at the 1:20 mark of the opening frame to set up a title unifier with the winner of a June meeting between champ Sergio Pettis and Patricio Pitbull.
“People think I’m just a ground guy,” Mix said afterward. “I just knocked out 19-1 Raufeon Stots in a minute with my backside knee. I’ve been working that for months. I knew he dipped, and I knew I could catch him.”
Check out the explosive finish below.
Mix’s win over Stots capped off an impressive run of the bantamweight tourney bracket as he outpointed former RIZIN champ Kyoji Horiguchi and submitted Magomed Magomedov. For his efforts, the New Yorker took home a $1 million check and welcomed the winner of June’s title fight.
“I’ll be there,” he said. “I’ll sit cageside. It doesn’t matter. It’s No. 1 vs. No. 7 pound-for-pound, so whoever comes out on top will be on top.”
Ilimanator squeaks out win, secures title shot
In the co-main event, former flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane narrowly got past Kana Watanabe to keep her title hopes alive. She regularly gave up takedowns to judoka Watanabe over 15 minutes, but Watanabe’s lack of offense and a stiff right hand presented a better argument for two of three judges, who gave her the 29-28 call over the dissenting judge for Watanabe, 29-28.
Bellator 295 full results:
Patchy Mix def. Raufeon Stots via KO (knee) – Round 1, 1:20
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane def. Kana Watanabe via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Yancy Medeiros def. Charlie Leary via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:39
Aaron Pico def. James Gonzalez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Mads Burnell def. Justin Gonzales via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Kai Kamaka III def. Adli Edwards def. Veta Arteaga via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Sumiko Inaba def. Veta Arteaga via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Aalon Cruz def. Bobby King via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Davion Franklin def. Kasim Aras via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bruna Ellen def. Ilara Joanne via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Masayuki Kikuiri def. Alexey Shurkevich via KO (punch) – Round 2, 4:33