The UFC had one last show to cap eleven straight weeks of action Saturday, with UFC Fight Night 114, known as UFC Mexico City among fans following the show online around the world. In the main event, flyweights Sergio Pettis and Brandon Moreno, both on three fight win streaks, squared off in a five round fight that could shoot the winner into title contention.
Early in the first round, Moreno was able to catch a Sergio Pettis kick, and dump him on his back, securing the first takedown of the fight. He worked from Pettis’s guard, moving him away from the fence in the hopes of preventing a wall walk. Pettis would move from open to closed guard and try to push Moreno off of him, however, he wound up giving up his back, with Moreno quickly clamping on a body lock. With over half a round to go this was a bad spot for Pettis. While Pettis was game in trying to transition and reverse position, he had no luck in the end and instead spent most of the round with Moreno on his back. That said, he survived the round, and the action would go to a second.
Round two saw Pettis open with a kick to the body that sent Moreno sprawling. Pettis would later catch a kick and dump Moreno, but chose not to follow him to the ground, allowing the Mexican fighter to stand back up. A high kick connected from Pettis, but was partially blocked; another one wound up allowing Moreno to get Pettis back down, but this time, Pettis was successful in getting back up and briefly taking Moreno’s back. Back on the feet Moreno ate another head kick after throwing a leg kick of his own. Round two was much more successful for Pettis, and he likely took the frame.
Brandon Moreno connected first in round three, but Pettis was soon letting the kicks loose again. Pettis caught a kick and dumped Moreno to the mat, but again had no desire to follow him to the ground. Moments later, another sequence of kicks and strikes had Moreno hurt; for whatever reason the Mexican had begun to fight Pettis’ fight. By the end of the third, Moreno had a cut open up over his eye, and Pettis had won another round.
Round four saw Moreno suffer an eye poke early, but after the cageside doctor checked him out, it was deemed he was able to continue. Pettis continued to win the striking battle on the feet, and Moreno was unable to get the fight to the ground through the first three minutes of the round. A knee from Pettis connected with just over two minutes left; the fight was slowly slipping away from Moreno. Pettis perhaps got a little two flashy, launching a cartwheel kick at the end of the round that put him in a bad spot for a moment, but regardless, it was his round again.
Moreno likely needed a stoppage in the fifth and final frame, unless the judges awarded him a 10-8 for his dominant first round. The Mexican fighter stormed forward with a takedown early and got it, putting Pettis on his back. He wasn’t able to get much done and Pettis actually connected with a couple of upkicks. Pettis would make it back to his feet with ninety seconds remaining, but could that have been enough to win Moreno the round? Back on the feet Pettis was connecting on a bloodied Moreno again; they finished the round swinging with Pettis celebrating after the bell.
Sergio Pettis def. Brandon Moreno by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-46, 48-46)
