Saturday night, Bellator returns with a fantastic card with some tremendous fights. In the main event of the evening, the vacant bantamweight title is on the line as Juan Archuleta (24-2) takes on Patrick Mix (13-0).
These two are two of the very best that Bellator has to offer. The fight should be a fantastic matchup that MMA fans should be excited about. Bellator also has some very solid fights underneath the main event, but all eyes are on the bantamweight title fight.
Archuleta and Mix battle for bantamweight gold
I’m so pumped for this main event between Archuleta and Mix. They are fighting for the Bellator bantamweight title after the champion, Kyoji Horiguichi (28-3), vacated the title due to injury back in November.
Juan Archuleta started fighting less than ten years ago, yet he already has 26 professional fights. He’s very good on his feet with about half of his wins coming by knockout. However, Archuleta is comfortable wherever the fight goes.
The only man to have defeated Archuleta since 2015 is Bellator‘s current double champion, Patricio Pitbull. Archuleta has dreams of becoming the bantamweight and featherweight Bellator champion, but he fell short in his first crack at the featherweight crown.
Now, he will get his shot against Patrick Mix. There might not be a slicker fighter on the ground on the Bellator roster than 27 year old Patrick Mix. Mix will enter the Bellator cage undefeated at 13-0 and he’s on a eight fight finish streak.
Nine of Mix’s 13 wins have come via submission. His last four fights have all ended in the first round which included the first TKO of his career. Mix is a well rounded fighter, but there’s no question in where he wants this fight to go.
The fight is going to come down to where it takes place. While Mix can hold his own on the feet, if it stays standing, Archuleta has an advantage. The moment it touches the ground, Mix has a big advantage.
While I see a back and forth contest and I wouldn’t be shocked by either winning, I think Mix is going to pull off a submission in this one.
Prediction: Patrick Mix by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – Round 3
The Rest of Bellator 246
The rest of the card is stacked with some very good fights. Jon Fitch (32-7) takes on Neiman Gracie (9-1) in the co-main event of the evening. Former two time UFC title challenger Liz Carmouche is making her Bellator debut tomorrow night.
I’m also interested in watching the undefeated Keoni Diggs (8-0) who’s taking on Derek Campos (20-10). Bellator has a very strong week this week with two cards, and this is an excellent way of finish things off.