‘I really couldn’t afford to do that’: Patchy Mix explains UFC departure, featherweight move for RIZIN return
Patchy Mix’s UFC profession did not reside up to expectations, and he is prepared to begin a brand new journey on the RIZIN featherweight roster.
The former Bellator champion’s move caught many unexpectedly, with Mix leaving the UFC shortly following a 0-2 run, and “No Love” believes it was down to funds.
Mix is scheduled to face Kyoma Akimoto in the primary occasion of RIZIN 52 this Friday night time, his first combat in Japan since he competed on RIZIN 20 as a consultant of Bellator. As a UFC fighter in 2025, Mix misplaced fights to Mario Bautista and Jakub Wiklacz, who had followers questioning Mix’s elite standing and his worth to the promotion.
“I was on a high contract, like a contender contract, but it had to be at bantamweight,” Mix advised MMA Fighting of his UFC departure. “I can’t afford to lose a guy that’s unranked, you know? I just lost a split decision, first back-to-back losses in my career, it just so happened they happened in the UFC. I don’t hang my head though, I’m super honored and grateful for the opportunity. I’m super grateful to go back to RIZIN and be able to headline this card here.
“A few weeks after my final combat, dropping two fights and being world class at bantamweight, I really couldn’t afford to do that, particularly to an unranked man in Jakub Wiklacz. A few weeks after the combat, [Mix’s manager] Ali [Abdelaziz] referred to as me. He stated they had been going to launch me. We knew we had bother form of making bantamweight, so my foremost factor was to form of go up to featherweight. Of course, I’d have needed that to be within the UFC, however on the contract I used to be on, they only couldn’t make it occur. So, you recognize, I needed to signal with RIZIN and are available after Razhabali Shaydullaev, the man who has the belt there.”
With UFC now disappointment within the rear-view mirror, a run that was in sharp distinction to his 9-1 profession in Bellator, Mix stated, “I’m just looking ahead and just trying to be a better fighter than I was yesterday.”
“No, I wouldn’t have done it differently,” Mix stated. “I would have played my cards correctly, just the way they were. I’m glad I was able to fight Mario Bautista. I’m glad I was able to, you know, just fight those fights and get the experience I needed to further my career. I’m only a better fighter because of it. And I’m hoping to show that this year in 2026. With the experience I had in 2025, it’s just going to make me better.”
RIZIN 52 marks Mix’s return to featherweight for the primary time in a decade, since he competed on the regional scene within the United States. Mix stated his final cuts to 135 kilos had been “really brutal on my body and on my performance,” so not going by way of all that is a chance to “be healthy and kind of just rebrand my career.”
Mix was victorious in his first journey to Japan on the New Year’s Eve present in December 2019, tapping out Yuki Motoya in simply 97 seconds. He has nice reminiscences of competing in entrance of 30,000 followers on the identical card of native fan favorites similar to Jiri Prochazka, Manel Kape, Tenshin Nasukawa, Tofiq Musayev and the Asakura brothers, Kai and Mikuru.
“RIZIN 20 was crazy,” Mix stated. “It was my first time in Japan, my first experience overseas. Like, I had to get a passport for it, so it was real cool. I got my first stamp in my passport. I remember it like it was yesterday. RIZIN 20 was a dream, man. It was one of my favorite cards I’ve ever fought on and I fought on MSG, the Dublin 3 Arena, Hawaii, in front of Donald Trump at the Prudential arena, T-Mobile here. You know, I everywhere fought and I really liked RIZIN at the Super Saitama Arena, so I’m super excited to go back right now. And I’m super excited to be the headliner.”
Mix’s return to Japan goes down at Ariake Arena, a smaller venue with about 15,000 fans in attendance, but the same atmosphere and theatrics that RIZIN fans are used to. Kyoma Akimoto has an MMA record of 11-1 with four wins in 2025, stopping his last three opponents.
“I don’t really have too many thoughts on him,” Mix said. “He’s a young stud, he’s a good kid, you know, and I’m going to take my belt off and put it right on his ass. It’ll be good.”
Razhabali Shaydullaev is the current RIZIN featherweight champion and holds a perfect MMA record with 17 finishes in 17 bouts. He knocked out Kleber Koike, Viktor Kolesnik and Mikuru Asakura in a phenomenal 2025 campaign, and Mix said he wants to “be ready for that champion”, suggesting bouts with Koike or Mikuru Asakura if victorious in his return, instead of rushing for an immediate title shot next.
“I want three fights this year,” Mix stated. “I simply need to keep energetic. I would like to get mad fights earlier than I grasp it up. I would like to combat now, over the summer time and on the New Year’s card that they’ve. I undoubtedly need on that New Year’s card although. That’s the largest one.”
