Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix will defend his title next against Leandro Higo in the main event of the Paris show in Nov. 16, the company announced Tuesday. Baissaingour Chamsoudinov vs. Oliver Enkamp will serve as the co-main event.
Mix (20-1) last defended his belt in May with a close split decision victory over Magomed Magomedov. He now rides a seven-fight winning streak with three title wins and a 9-1 record under the Bellator banner.
Higo (23-6) flew to Paris to watch Mix vs. Magomedov in May and told MMA Fighting right after the match that he was promised the next shot at the gold despite the close affair between champion and challenger.
“Patchy Mix is, to me, the greatest bantamweight in Bellator history for what he’s done and who he’s beat,” said Higo, who earned the shot after beating Nikita Mikhailov and James Gallagher. “He’s fought the best fighters in Bellator and beat them convincingly. And it will be great to fight and dethrone him in his prime.”
Chamsoudinov (8-0) scored a highly controversial win over French star Cedric Doumbe in his PFL debut back in March, when a splinter entered Doumbe’s foot and led to referee Marc Goddard ending the bout. Enkamp (11-4) looks to rebound from a 2023 decision defeat to Luca Poclit in his sixth Bellator appearance.
“We are back in the French capital to put on another incredible show for the people of Paris, and we can’t wait for our debut in the Adidas Arena,” PFL CEO Peter Murray stated in a release. “To bring the fireworks, we’re returning with one of the best bantamweights of all time in our world champion Patchy Mix, who looks to stay undefeated in Paris with his title fight against challenger Leandro Higo in what will be a showcase of elite mixed martial arts.
“And we know Paris will welcome back one of the biggest prospects in all of MMA, France’s own Baissangour Chamsoudinov. At just 22 years old, with a perfect record of 8-0, and having already headlined in Paris, this man is a phenom who will be one to watch for years to come. But he’s up against an experienced athlete in Oliver Enkamp who will look to spoil the party for the French, so we’re excited to see who comes out on top.”
