Preview: Bellator 232 ‘MacDonald vs. Lima’

Patrick Mix vs. Isaiah Chapman

After a quick, one-minute submission of Ricky Bandejas in his impressive Bellator debut back in June, Mix asked for a showdown with Irish superstar James Gallagher and was rewarded with virtually unknown talent, Isaiah Chapman instead. The win shouldn’t surprise any as the 26-year-old has compiled a perfect 11-0 professional record after having the same record as an amateur and is part of the prestigious Jackson-Wink MMA team. During his run on the regional scene, he captured the King of the Cage bantamweight title and defended it three times. During his career, he picked up submission wins over current UFC roster members Tony Gravely and Andre Ewell. Patchy is gigantic for the weight class, standing 5-foot-11. On the feet, he uses his long lengthy frame to work behind a snapping jab and stinging left hand. Despite improvements in his striking, Mix’s ground game remains his bread and butter. The Buffalo native is a former NCAA wrestler and is a wizard on the mat. He like to smother foes with top pressure until an opening for a submission presents itself and suddenly he springs at the opportunity. The undefeated fighter has some of the best back takes in the entire sport. Over his 11 professional bouts, he has finished seven of them by way of submission. He even won a bout by the rare “Suloev stretch” during his last fight before his signing with Bellator.

Chapman is best known for his fight in the World Series of Fighting when he dropped a unanimous decision to Timur Valiev back in September 2014. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been very active since, only fighting four times in the last five years. Despite the lack of fights, he did capture the Honor Fighting Championship bantamweight title and is on a three-fight winning streak. He holds a 9-3 professional record. “The Beast” is a black belt in both taekwondo and judo and was a member of the United States National judo team. He is a southpaw with fast hands and some nice pop in his fists. The 29-year-old likes to counterstrike attacks with large combinations of his own. He throws a lot of kicks, but often doesn’t set them up, leaving him open for a counter. The Akron, Ohio, native presses a high pace, but can be a little too aggressive, leaving him out of position and susceptible to attacks. He mixes takedowns well with his striking and has good top control. He tends to not defend takedowns by sprawling but simply diving into a guillotine choke. He has got the choke in the past but often finds himself on the bottom if he can’t force his foe to tap out. The Midwesterner has struggled to get out from the bottom in the past.

At first glance, this fight appeared to be an easy victory for Mix, but after further review, Chapman isn’t a push over. I expect the underdog to come out throwing serious leather trying to give Mix the first L of his career. I think he will have some moments in the bout, but the undefeated fighter will weather and early storm and take the fight to the ground where he shines. I expect Mix to continue to us this strategy until Chapman makes a mistake and Mix takes his back and sinks in a rear-naked choke. Mix by second-round submission.

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