UFC darkhorse spoils highly-touted champ's debut on Merab vs. O'Malley main card

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Jun 7, 2025 11:14 PM ET

(Zuffa LLC)

Former Bellator Champion Patchy Mix made his highly-anticipated debut against top-ranked bantamweight contender Mario Bautista at UFC 316.

Sitting at #10 in the bantamweight rankings heading into UFC 316, Bautista was scheduled to put his seven-fight win streak on the line against former title challenger Marlon Vera before "Chito" withdrew from the card due to injury.

Vera's withdrawal set the stage for the UFC to finally sign Mix, who successfully defended the Bellator bantamweight belt last year to bring his own win streak to seven fights before being granted a release from his contract with the PFL.

No more talking @Bautista_MMA vs @TeamMixMMA

[ #UFC316 | TOMORROW 10pmET | Live on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/fQzgwFfQPS
— UFC (@ufc) June 6, 2025

Bautista Spoils Mix's Debut At UFC 316

The bantamweight tilt followed UFC 316's welterweight curtain jerker between Kevin Holland and Vicente Luque, which saw Luque suffer his first submission-loss in the UFC when Holland locked up a D'arce choke in the second round.

The Bantamweight division will have their eyes on this one @Bautista_MMA vs @TeamMixMMA

[ #UFC316 is LIVE now on @ESPNPlus PPV ] pic.twitter.com/DB5d3mqku8
— UFC (@ufc) June 8, 2025

Entering the night as a small favorite to get the job done in his promotional debut, Mix found himself on the backfoot early as Bautista began to pressure him with a variety of strikes.

The UFC veteran found particular success with his body shots as the first round went on, while Mix was largely content to try and chip away with kicks and look for occasional knees that failed to find their mark.

Bautista got right back to work with his strikes in the second round as his opponent looked to increase his own output. "No Love" turned things up considerably compared to the first round, and once the third frame started the former Bellator champion came out with a significant sense of urgency.

It didn't take long for Bautista to settle back in and cause some damage to Mix's right eye that appeared to bother the 31-year-old significantly, and after 15 minutes of action Bautista got his hand raised via unanimous decision for his eighth win in a row.