WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bellator’s bantamweight division is considered by many the promotion’s strongest weight class, which has led people to compare it to the UFC’s.
PFL founder Donn Davis is a strong believer in the roster his company acquired, having officially announced the purchase of Bellator on Monday. So much so that Davis believes that Bellator’s bantamweight champion Patchy Mix is outright better than UFC’s 135-pound champion Sean O’Malley.
“Patchy Mix could beat ‘Suga,’” Davis told reporters after the 2023 PFL Championship on Friday night. “He doesn’t have the hair, but he’s got better fighting. I think that most people think that that’s a good fight or that Patchy is a slight favorite, but it’s a damn good fight.
Davis revealed that there’s no plan of developing a PFL bantamweight season in 2024. For now, Mix (19-1) will defend his title against challengers yet to be determined in the eight expected Bellator events for 2024.
Mix recently unified the Bellator bantamweight title, when he defeated Sergio Pettis at Bellator 301 earlier this month. Mix entered the bout as interim champion. The 30-year-old is currently on a six-fight winning streak and only has one career, which came against Juan Archuleta in 2020.
On the other hand, O’Malley (17-1) returns to the octagon in March to defend his title against Marlon Vera, the only man to have a win over him. O’Malley became UFC champion in August, stopping Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in Boston.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL Championship.