A sizable portion of analysts, fans and fighters bemoan the lack of meritocracy in mixed martial arts. Far too often a deserving contender is passed over in favor of a brash talker or former champion with lingering star power. It's prizefighting after all. That is why the Bellator World Grand Prix is so refreshing as Raufeon Stots and Patchy Mix approach the bantamweight finals at Bellator 295 on Saturday.
Eight fighters compete -- you read that correctly, compete -- to determine who is the very best. Awaiting the winner is a world (or interim) championship and a $1 million reward. It's prizefighting in the purest sense. Lowbrow, inflammatory marketing and "what have you done for me lately" matchmaking be damned.
Actions speak louder than preconceived notions in this environment. Kyoji Horiguchi, a former three-time bantamweight champion between Bellator and Rizin, was among the favorites entering the tournament. His opening-round opponent Mix was somewhat written off after a failed bantamweight title bid against Juan Archuleta two years prior. Mix more than delivered, rag-dolling Horiguchi in key moments to take a competitive five-round decision.
"I felt going into it just nervous, very nervous energy," Mix told CBS Sports of his loss to Archuleta. "Not knowing if I was ready at the moment to do the whole five rounds... I just didn't feel I was ready to go for five rounds if I didn't finish him. So I felt that nervous energy and I felt when I got on his back in the early rounds that I needed to finish him.
"If you look at my Horiguchi fight, I was able to get a takedown in the first 10 seconds of Round 5 because I'm working so much harder inside the gym. I've completely changed my training habits and my lifestyle... Now it's my time. I'm fully mature this time. I'm three years older. I'm not coming for one title, I'm coming for many. This is just my step towards my first. This is my step into stardom. I'm going to win the Grand Prix title. I'm going to snatch Raufeon Stots' interim belt off his arm and I'm taking that $1 million from him. I'm going to make him quit. He's going to give me that $1 million on Saturday."
Stots has progressed through the Grand Prix as de facto titleholder ever since bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis was forced out of the tournament with an injury, elevating Stots vs. Archuleta to an interim title fight. Stots is now the measuring stick but certainly has a point to prove after a snooze-inducing split decision win against Danny Sabatello. The fight almost went awry due to one awful scorecard, but Stots emerged as the rightful winner. Stots, much like Mix, approaches the finals with a more mature mindset.
"I take part of the blame for that because I didn't really care about or respect Danny Sabatello as a fighter," Stots told CBS Sports. "I figured, 'OK, if he gets position, I'll be OK. He won't be able to last and he won't be able to really do anything to me.' So I didn't respect him and that was my fault. I didn't bring in one wrestler to train with. I just didn't. In hindsight that was a bad idea.
"The judging was terrible, but I can only improve what I can improve. I can only look at myself. This camp, I've changed that mindset just because of who I'm fighting. Because of who I'm fighting, I've brought in people to put me in the positions that Patchy Mix will be in and also try to finish me. I brought in people that are the best in the world. I also went out to train with [UFC fighters] Cory Sandhagen and Ryan Hall for specific positions. I'm prepared now. This one really, really counts. I have a lot of respect for his fighting skills."
If skill and merit are not enough to whet your fight appetite, you'll be relieved to know there is a degree of tension between the two parties.
"The only way we're staying up on the feet is if I want to," Mix said. "We'll clash or I'll make him shoot... We will grapple and he will get strangled. One way or the other, he will get strangled. He's lucky we didn't train when he was at the gym with me because I would have strangled him every single day. So next Saturday, he better come with his A-game. He better hope we don't go to the ground because I know he's going to be trying to kick my legs and try to run away."
"He probably finds me quite annoying because I got stuff he wants," Stots said. "I'm not here to be your friend.
"If we end up standing, bro, you ain't dictating a god damn thing. You can't dictate a god damn thing. You're going to react to what the f--- I got to do. I feel like that's where our skill sets differ. I feel like I've shown, and this is in fights, that I'm a better striker. He hasn't shown that in fights. He got pieced up by, what's that kid's name? James Gallgher. He got pieced up by Gallagher."
The winner's purse has appreciated in value in the MMA marketplace. Whoever survives the bantamweight gauntlet was originally expected to unify the titles with Pettis. Bellator has since announced that reigning featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull, the frontrunner for greatest fighter in Bellator history, will fight Pettis in pursuit of his third divisional title. Suddenly, there is even more at stake for Stots and Mix than $1 million and an interim title. The winner will face the ultimate test: challenging the greatest fighter in Bellator history or the last person to defeat him.
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