CHICAGO – The Bellator 297 co-main event fighters weighed in Friday at the host hotel, and things went off without a hitch.
Bantamweight champion [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) was one of the first to weigh in and registered one pound below championship weight at 134 pounds.
All eyes then turned to [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA), who stepped on the scale as a bantamweight for the first time. Freire, too, came in light, as he weighed 134.2 and showed off his leaner than usual physique.
Freire, 35, is the current Bellator featherweight champion and a former lightweight champion under the promotion’s banner. He looks to add a third divisional title to his resume and become the first fighter in major MMA history to do so in the same promotion.
Pettis, 29, has not competed for 14 months due to a knee injury. Friday will mark his first title defense attempt as he looks to spoil a “Pitbull’s” historic feat.
Check out video of the Bellator 297 co-main event participants making weight above.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.</em