Patchy Mix experienced his second consecutive defeat last weekend in Las Vegas. While it`s common for fighters who excel in other promotions to struggle in the Octagon, Mix`s situation is particularly notable. He faced significant criticism after his UFC 316 debut loss, despite joining the promotion as one of the sport`s most promising bantamweights. The former Bellator star aimed for redemption with a full training camp for his return at UFC 320 on October 4. Unfortunately, after Mix`s controversial loss, it appears his preparations were marred by multiple obstacles.
Patchy Mix Reportedly Dealt with a Difficult Weight Cut, Illness, and a Staph Infection Before UFC 320
During the UFC 320 prelims, Patchy Mix sustained a severe eye injury in a split decision loss to Jakub Wiklacz. Despite the bout being incredibly close, with many believing the American did enough to win two of the three rounds, he once again left the Octagon without a victory. Beyond the results, the nature of his performances has led some to speculate that Mix`s UFC career might be short-lived.
TJ Dillashaw, a former UFC bantamweight champion, was present in Las Vegas during fight week and recently disclosed on the JAXXON Podcast that Mix was contending with several significant health issues. Dillashaw expressed surprise at Mix`s appearance after a tough weight cut and shared other challenges the fighter was facing.
“He just did not look good when we were going to ceremonial weigh-ins… He’s like laying on the ground, looking like he’s still cutting weight,” Dillashaw recounted. “Then I go to the bathroom, and he runs up to go to the bathroom, says he’s been throwing up since weigh-ins. He can’t keep anything down. He’s sick. It’s probably a little bit of nerves, too, but he couldn’t hold nothing down. Then he’s talking about how he had staph for the last two weeks, he’s been on antibiotics. So, it didn’t sound like camp went that great. When you’re on antibiotics, your cardio is going to suck, and we saw that in the fight.”
TJ Dillashaw Calls for Patchy Mix to Adapt While Acknowledging His Health Struggles
Patchy Mix, once a highly-regarded Bellator champion with a 20-1 record, has now suffered back-to-back decision losses in the Octagon in 2025. Many observers have noted that his performances have been underwhelming, a point TJ Dillashaw believes Mix needs to address. However, Dillashaw also conceded that many of these technical deficiencies could stem from the strenuous weight cuts and illnesses Mix was battling.
“On the technical side of things, I’d really like to see Patchy Mix evolve,” Dillashaw stated. “I would need to start seeing him moving his head. He doesn’t have any head motion. He kind of stands in front of you a little bit and just plots forward. His jiu-jitsu is good. I could see some more feints, some more head motion, was a little more snappy on his punches, but unfortunately he was so tired that his punches didn’t have it. The first thing that goes away when you get tired is your feints and your movement.”
