Mario Bautista is “excited” to welcome Patchy Mix to the UFC at UFC 316: “We all know how good Patchy is”

Mario Bautista is glad to be the one to welcome former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix to the UFC.

Bautista was supposed to fight Marlon Vera at UFC 316, but the former title challenger had an injury and was forced out of the bout. After ‘Chito’ was injured, Bautista made it known he would remain on the card and didn’t care who he would fight.

“We got pushed back from May to June, that was one push back. I think it was last week, I got another phone call that Chito wasn’t going to make it to the fight,” Bautista said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “They found me a replacement. I wasn’t going to wait for Chito or another time, it’s almost been a year since I fought, so whatever fight they would get me, I would take.”

Once Bautista got the call to fight Patchy Mix, he was thrilled, but admits it was a surprise.

“Definitely a surprise, I was looking at everyone else on the roster,” Bautista said. “This was a surprise; he got out of his contract the same day and then jumped into another one with the UFC.”

Mario Bautista is looking to finish Patchy Mix at UFC 316

Although Patchy Mix is the former Bellator bantamweight champion, Mario Bautista does wonder how he will fare in the UFC.

Bautista feels like he has fought the better competition and is confident in his skills ahead of UFC 316.

“We are going to find out once he comes over if he can keep that up,” Bautista said. “I’m excited to be his debut in the UFC… If I’m not in a bad spot in the grappling department, I’m going to take full advantage of it. You can see this fight up, down, and everywhere.”

With Mario Bautista being confident in his skills, he thinks he can hurt Patchy Mix on the feet. But, if he can’t put Mix out, he’s confident he will get a decision win.

“I’m always going to try and look for the finish. If I can hurt him on the feet, that’s great,” Bautista said. “If not, I always see myself winning a decision.”

Should Bautista get his hand raised, he believes he should get a top-five opponent next.

“I’m hoping it puts me in the top five. We all know how good Patchy is and where he lies rankings-wise among all the bantamweights in the world. So, I’m hoping I get a top-five guy next,” Bautista concluded.