Patricio Pitbull, former lightweight and current Bellator MMA featherweight champ, looked to etch his name in the history books at Bellator 297 on Friday.
Rarely does a title challenger warrant more celebration and ceremony than Pitbull. Sergio Pettis, the reigning Bellator MMA bantamweight champ, was making his first official title defense against a former double champ, and current featherweight champion.
Pitbull, were he victorious on Friday, would become MMA’s first triple champ in any major promotion. For Pettis, it was his first bout back from ACL surgery.
All of that added up to one big question mark. Pitbull answered at least one question in the earlier going, finding a home for his calf kick. Outside of landing that repeatedly to the lead leg of Pettis, there was little action in the first half of the opening round. A few jabs, a few shots to the body, but mostly feeling out and footwork, until Pitbull landed a takedown just past the halfway mark.
From there, Pitbull was able to take the back of Pettis, but could not get his hooks in, with Pettis popping back up. Pettis then fired a leg kick of his own, and later went high with a kick the Pitbull’s left side. Moments later, a high kick would sneak up to the opposite side for the champ, but he slipped on the delivery, only to quickly scramble up. A right hand landed for Pitbull towards the end of a round best described as a slow burn.
Round two opened with both men reluctant to lead, with little of note landing in the opening minute. Pettis settled into southpaw stance, and finally marched forward, firing hands and finishing with a kick to the body. Pitbull pressed back, with the champ retreating to the fence, he then led once again, but again the fight was more chess than checkers, with single strikes thrown and neither man wanting to commit any error.
Pettis fired a spinning wheel kick, but was a bit off-balance, and didn’t land it clean. A good thing for Pitbull, who still appeared just a little dazed immediately following the blow. A key moment in the fight for Pettis regardless, who no doubt had Pitbull’s respect.
Early in the third, Pettis got his hands going, only for Pitbull to put the pressure on in return, changing levels and looking for a takedown. No dice, and Pettis easily fought off the attempt. Pitbull struggled for much of the frame getting his offense going, and was showing a bit of damage s the round progressed, with a trail of blood highlighting his nose. But in the dying seconds of round three, Patricio Pitbull did land a key takedown — he simply lacked the time required to make something happen with it.
Round four featured another lackluster takedown attempt by Pitbull, and a lack of output from the featherweight champ. Pettis might have settled back just a little in this round, and had to shake off another takedown attempt with about two minutes remaining. He did just that, and it was becoming clear that for Patricio Pitbull, his dream of a third championship had become reliant on a finish. As if to underscore that, Pettis landed a front kick to the face of Pitbull at the end of the round, which came just moments after a switch kick.
Switch kick followed by a front kick. Is @sergiopettis getting closer to a finish? 😳 #Bellator297 LIVE NOW:
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The five stanza of Pettis vs. Pitbull saw the champ using his movement, able to avoid Pitbull’s attacks. A knee nearly connected for Pettis, moments later, Pitbull’s right hand did land. A reminder that though down, the Brazilian was not out of the fight. Still, ever second off the clock was one second less in which Pitbull could finish. Come the final minute, that had become a real problem. Keenly aware of that fact, Pettis looked for a takedown, but couldn’t land it. With thirty seconds on the clock. Pitbull walked the champ down, and fired a spinning back fist. Countered, and that was all she wrote. Going to the scorecards, there was little doubt that the speed and diverse attacks had earned Sergio Pettis the win.
Next up for Pettis is expected to be 135lb grand prix winner Patchy Mix. The pair faced off in the cage following Friday’s co-main event.
Official Result: Sergio Pettis def. Patricio Pitbull by unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
