Patrick Mix Brutally Knocks Out Raufeon Stots to Capture Bellator’s 135-Pound GP

OUT COLD! 😱@TeamMixMMA KNOCKS OUT @RaufeonStots to win the #BellatorBWGP $1,000,000 crown.#Bellator295 | LIVE NOW | @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/l0smOYG2yr

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 23, 2023

So, who wants to be a millionaire?

Patrick Mix answered that question in a hurry after brutally knocking out Bellator MMA interim bantamweight champion Raufeon Stots with a devastating knee in the first round of the Bellator 295 main event Saturday night at Neil S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.

Fresh off choking out Magomed Magomedov last December, Mix showed a few extra layers to his bag after catching a backpedaling Stots with a flush left knee to the chin 1:22 into the first round. With the shot, Mix claimed the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix title and the $1 million prize.

Mix (18-1) is arguably one of the best bantamweights on the planet after cruising through the tournament. Dispatching Magomedov and Stots with ease puts the 29-year-old on track for a date with the winner of the Sergio Pettis-Patrico Freire fight on June 16.

In the co-main event, former Bellator women’s flyweight champion Ilima Lei MacFarlane set up a date with the reigning belt holder Liz Carmouche after outlasting Kana Watanabe in a three-round war by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28).

Aaron Pico returned from his shoulder injury and loss to Jeremy Kennedy last October and cruised to a unanimous decision over James Gonzalez in featherweight action (30-27, 30-27, 30-27). Yancy Medeiros ended a four-fight skid with a rear naked choke on Charlie Leary in the first round.

Related » Bellator 295 Round-by-Round Scoring

In other action, Masayuki Kikuiri starched Alexey Shurkevich via KO (Punch) in the second round of their welterweight bout. Shurkevich was the sharper striker throughout but felt Kikuriri’s power early before going to sleep with 27 seconds left in the second round. Bruna Ellen (7-4) looked the sharpest she’s been against Ilara Joanne, clubbing the Brazilian with left hooks to cruise to the unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Jackson-Wink MMA’s Davion Franklin (6-1) bounced back from his first career loss after eeking out a decision over Kasim Aras. Franklin and Aras traded leather until the bell but Franklin’s third-round push was enough to return to the win column. Featherweights Mads Burnell and Kai Kamaka III impressed in their bouts picking up decision wins over Justin Gonzalez and Adli Edwards respectively. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Aalon Cruz shook off a slow start to outwork lightweight prospect Bobby King (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Sumiko Inaba outclassed Veta Arteaga over three rounds (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) in women’s flyweight action.