HONOLULU – Raufeon Stots had no doubt he’d be in the position he’s in this week, but he’s a little surprised by who’s standing across from him.
Stots (19-1 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) won Bellator’s interim bantamweight title to start the promotion’s 135-pound grand prix with a knockout of Juan Archuleta. Then he defended it in the semifinals with a decision over Danny Sabatello.
On the other side of the bracket, Patchy Mix (17-1 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) outworked former champion Kyogi Horiguchi, then submitted Magomed Magomedov this past December to get to the final against Stots.
Now the two will fight for $1 million and Stots’ interim belt in the Bellator 295 main event Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
“(I didn’t) originally (think it would be Mix),” Stots told MMA Junkie at an open workout session for fans and the media at Royal Hawaiian Center in Honolulu. “I didn’t figure it. He’s been an underdog all the way through the tournament, but it’s still a point where you’ve got to respect Patchy.
“He’s a bad dude. He’s here for a reason. He’s f*cking got a lot to prove, also, so he’s definitely the right (opponent). I think this is the best (final) That could have been made. This is the two of the best bantamweights in the world, and we get to find out.”
The trash talk for Stots against Sabatello was at elite levels most of the way through the buildup to their fight. Mix hasn’t engaged as much in back-and-forths with Stots as Sabatello did, but he’s noticed.
Still, though Stots has talked quite a bit, he said he has a different level of respect for Mix compared to Sabatello.
“I’ve got a lot respect for Patchy’s skill set,” Stots said. “So I do – I respect him more than I did Danny Sabatello. But I think that plays into my favor because he comes with a skill set that I need to be aware of. So I came well-prepared. I wasn’t so prepared when I fought Sabaatello – I didn’t bring in any wrestlers. I didn’t prepare. I didn’t think he was a danger. He proved me wrong. I still beat his ass, but he held out a lot longer than I thought.
“This one, I know I’m coming in ready. I know I’m prepared. I’m prepared for the toughest Patchy Mix, and I feel like I’m the best in the world. I’m prepared to prove that Saturday.”
The Stots-Mix winner will fight the winner of former two-division champion Patricio Freire, who is moving to bantamweight from featherweight to try to win a title in a third division when he takes on champ Sergio Pettis in June.
Check out Stots’ full interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 295.
