Bellator 295 Main Event Breakdown

Bellator 295 serves as the promotion’s second and last card of April. As is customary when Bellator goes to Hawaii, Neil S. Blaisdell Arena serves as the host venue for the show.

Live coverage of Bellator 295 begins at 7 pm ET/ 4 pm PT on Bellator MMA’s YouTube channel with the undercard. Main card action follows on Showtime at 11 pm ET/ 8 pm PT, so if you’re in the Eastern or Central time zone, put on a pot of coffee.

Bantamweight Grand Prix Final in Bellator 295 Main Event

All told Bellator 295 features a full slate of 13 fights. Highlighting the night’s itinerary is the championship fight of the Bellator MMA Bantamweight World Grand Prix in the Bellator 295 main event. Interim champion Raufeon Stots (19-1 MMA, 7-0 Bellator), who won the strap after a knockout of Juan Archuleta this time last year, seeks to defend the title once more when he takes on No. 2 contender Patchy Mix (17-1 MMA, 6-1 Bellator).

As with all championship headliners, the Bellator 295 main event is an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close the show.

Bellator 295 Main Event Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds

Heading into the Bellator 295 main event on Saturday night, Patchy Mix stands as the taller gladiator at 5-foot-11, compared to the 5-foot-7 frame of Raufeon Stots. The interim champion owns a one-inch reach advantage (72 1/2 inches to 71 1/2 inches) over the challenger.

As it stands currently, the oddsmakers have Stots installed as a -140 favorite, with Mix countering as a +110 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening over the weekend, please wager responsibly.

Raufeon Stots Ready For Bellator 295 Main Event

Raufeon Stots enters the Bellator 295 main event having gone 5-0 in his last five bouts. Currently, he’s on an 11-fight winning streak.

Back in December, he scored a split decision victory over Danny Sabatello (13-2 MMA, 3-1 Bellator) to book a spot in the Grand Prix Final. Earlier this week, he talked to MMA Underground’s Will Brewer about his adversary on Saturday night.

“I respect Patchy Mix’s skillset a lot more,” Stots began. “I think him and me match up pretty well. I think I’m the best opposition he has faced. I would say he’s probably top two opposition that I’ve faced. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Let’s say he’s the best Patchy that shows up, he’ll be the best opposition that I’ll face. I feel like I have been ready for this challenge for a long time. I’ve been preparing with nothing but challenges.”

The time for pleasantries from Raufeon Stots is just about over. How will he fare in the Bellator 295 main event? Tune in and find out.

Patchy Mix Calls For a Short Night of Work in Bellator 295 Main Event

In the other corner, Patchy Mix has gone 4-1 over his last five fights. Up to now, he’s on a four-fight winning streak. During the semifinal, he scored a second-round submission due to a guillotine choke against Magomed Magomedov (19-3 MMA, 3-2 Bellator) in Bellator 289.

About a month and a half ago, Mix talked to The Schmo. He hopes to get the job done in a hurry.

“I’ve got Raufeon “Little Man” Stots,” Mix began. “I’m about to put him away, finish him. First round, it’s about to be over.”

Later on, he made a specific prediction as to how the fight could end.

“Rear-naked choke, guillotine, armbar, arm triangle,” he said. “I’m going to submit him, one way or the other. I’m going to catch this kid. I’m going to submit him.”

Beyond the Bellator 295 main event, Mix aims to try for the permanent championship against Sergio Pettis (22-5 MMA, 4-0 Bellator) down the road in a unification battle, but he’s got to take it one fight at a time. It starts with Saturday’s contest.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Stylistically, the Bellator 295 main event looks to be a toss-up. Both men are wrestlers with Brazilian jiu-jitsu backgrounds, with Stots having a brown belt in BJJ.

Watch For Stots to Evade Takedown Attempts

This fight appears to be one that’s going to be primarily contested on the ground. Luckily, Raufeon Stots is adept at stuffing takedown attempts. Throughout the fight against Danny Sabatello, when the latter would try to take him down, Stots would pop up to keep the fight standing.

At one point during the bout, Sabatello had a 1-for-6 success rate in that category. Stots would become the aggressor in round two, landing crisp punches and nearly securing a kneebar late in the round. He landed a few crisp jabs in round three and secured a takedown of his own, taking side control.

His game plan is going to be predicated on takedown defense, something that will be tested to the nth degree.

Patchy Mix is a Submission Specialist

Of Patchy Mix’s 17 career wins, 12 have been by submission. As soon as he takes a guy down, it could be a wrap, like it was vs. Isiah Chapman. A few seconds after the fight began, Mix dumped Chapman and took side control.

Chapman’s grappling told the tale from here, as he landed ground and pound shots to make his opponent more susceptible to the eventual submission. He chained submission attempts together before finally settling on and locking in a Suloev stretch, forcing Chapman to tap out.

All it will take for Mix to end the Bellator 295 main event is a single takedown. When Patchy Mix puts his opponent on the mat, it’s his world.

Final Thoughts

Don’t go to sleep on Saturday night before seeing the Bellator 295 main event. This one has the potential to be among the best fights of the year.

Prediction: Patchy Mix by Unanimous Decision.

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