Patchy Mix returns to bantamweight at Rizin 54 after UFC exit
Former Bellator bantamweight champion Patrick "Patchy" Mix will drop back to 135 pounds when he faces Shoko Sato at Rizin 54 on Aug. 11 in Tokyo. Sherdog confirmed the matchup, which marks Mix's second outing since his UFC release earlier this year.
Mix won 20 of his first 21 professional bouts before signing with the Las Vegas promotion, where he dropped consecutive decisions to Mario Bautista and Jakub Wiklacz. The 32-year-old New York native then moved up to featherweight for Rizin 52, where Kyoma Akimoto stopped him in the second round.
Mix targets Rizin title shot at bantamweight
Sato brings a 58-fight resume dating to 2008 and has won three of his last four. The 38-year-old former ONE Championship and Shooto competitor submitted John Sweeney in the first round at Rizin 52. "So much respect for Sato but I'm coming back to bantamweight to prove myself. Fully dedicated and with so much vengeance," Mix wrote on social media, per the report. "Everything is in my hands, I'm ready to show my true form."
Mix has framed the bout as a path toward the Rizin bantamweight title. The card at Toyota Arena Tokyo is headlined by Kleber Koike Erbst against Kyoma Akimoto at featherweight.
Original reporting:
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