Mixed martial artist Patchy Mix swells with pride when he talks about Angola.
The 30-year-old Mix is an Angola native who went to Lake Shore High School. He’s the current Belator MMA bantamweight world champion. Mix claimed the world title by winning the Grand Prix finals in Honolulu last April in a first-round knockout over former interim Bellator bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots.
As Mix gears up to defend his title on Friday against Russian Magomed Magomedov in Paris, he’ll be thinking about his hometown and all the people who have been with him along the way.
“I have such good friendships with people from back home. I’m a mentor to a lot of kids back home,” Mix told The Buffalo News. “So, it’s very important for me to show my love, my gratitude back locally.”
Mix is 19-1. Magomedov is 20-3. The fight, which can be seen on MAX, is a chance for Mix to show off how he has continued to work on his game.
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“Now that I’m a champion, I’ve been able to invest in myself a little bit more,” Mix said. “I feel like I’m gonna be able to be a better performed athlete. I’ll be able to do a little bit more out there. I think I’ll show more wrinkles to my game.
“Now that I am (the) champion, now that I’m confident as a champion, I feel it’s my job to defend the belt, and I’m going to show a lot more new advancements in my game.”
Mix sees the improvements specifically in his striking, boxing and kickboxing. He has worked with additional coaches to better round out his game. Still, some aspects have stayed the same.
“My style is just very aggressive,” he said. “I’m always looking for the finish. I’m always looking to put my opponent away. I never want to go to the judges. If you look at my last six years, I think I’ve only (went to) the judges like once or twice, so you know, I’m always looking to finish,” he said.
“I’m a fan favorite – meaning like it’s a spectator sport, and I really want to give the spectators their money’s worth. … That’s why I always go for the finish.”
He’s used to having a big crowd on hand. Mix remembers his audience not only growing, but following him as his career took off, starting in high school. Mix, whose first name is Patrick, was given his nickname by his grandparents as a child. He was a two-time Section VI wrestling champion for Lake Shore, from which he graduated in 2011.
“I had such a support system,” Mix said. “I remember going to the state tournament my senior year and we hosted it at Lake Shore, and I had so much support.”
From there, he started his amateur career with sellout crowds at RiverWorks in Buffalo. Those crowds followed him to Niagara Falls, and then around the world.
One of the things Mix is most excited for this week is traveling with family and friends to Paris, letting them in on the experience, too. And with each step, he remembers where he started.
“I’m just excited to take it as far as I have,” Mix said, “And have an opportunity to really cement myself as the main staple and proud representative of where I’m from.”
Mix defeated Sergio Pettis in November in a title unification bout in the 135-pound bantamweight class in Chicago. He faced Magomedov once before, defeating the 32-year-old in a semifinal match at Bellator 289 on Dec. 9, 2022, in Connecticut.
