Tag: Sergio Pettis

Sergio Pettis reflects on Rizin 47 loss to Kyoji Horiguchi: ‘It’s an eye-opener’

Sergio Pettis reacts to his decision loss to Kyoji Horiguchi at Sunday’s Rizin 47.

[autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] wasn’t able to replicate what he did to [autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] back in 2021.

The two fought this Sunday in Tokyo, Japan in the main event of Rizin 47. Pettis (23-7), who had defeated Horiguchi (33-5-1) by knockout in their first outing under the Bellator banner, lost a unanimous decision. The former Bellator champion didn’t expect to get beat in the fashion that he did, and was surprised with how things went down.

“He went out there and got comfortable,” Pettis said when asked about his decision loss at the Rizin 47 post-fight press conference. “He put me on my back and controlled me in the corners, and did a good job in the wrestling department.

“Like I said, this is something I’ve always lacked throughout my career, and it’s an eye-opener. I’ve been prepping for all these wrestlers my whole career, but there are some guys that still sneak through, and Horiguchi ended up being one of those guys. It is what it is, and I’ll get better at that.”

Pettis is currently signed with PFL and has yet to debut under the new regime, as the promotion bought Bellator back in November. He says a return to the PFL-Bellator cage is next for him.

“I have a lot of stuff to get back to at home with Bellator and the PFL,” Pettis said. “I have a lot of opportunities there for me, but I’m down for wherever the journey takes me. I started my career in the UFC for six years and when I was younger I thought that’s where I was going to be my whole life, but I went over to Bellator and got an opportunity to come over here for Rizin. I’m down for whenever the martial arts road takes me. I’m a martial artist at the end of the day.”

Rizin 47 marked the first time that Pettis fights in Japan. Overall, he had a positive experience, and would love to do it again, but this time get his hand raised.

“I felt there was some love from the fans, and in general the Japanese fans are amazing,” Pettis said. “They’re very supportive and very nice. It was amazing to see how every seat was filled from beginning to end. Back in the states, it’s the opposite. They wait till the main event for the crowd to be filled. The production and everything behind the scenes was amazing, so thank you. What an opportunity. I will never forget this moment, even though I lost.”

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Kyoji Horiguchi, Sergio Pettis to rematch at Rizin 47 in June

Kyoji Horiguchi will get an opportunity to avenge one of his most notable losses at Rizin 47

[autotag]Kyoji Horiguchi[/autotag] will get an opportunity to avenge one of his most notable losses at Rizin 47.

Horiguchi (32-5-1) is set to run it back with [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (23-6) in a bantamweight bout June 8 (June 9 locally) from Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, promotion officials announced Thursday night.

Pettis rallied to knock out Horiguchi with a spinning backfist to retain his bantamweight title at Bellator 272. He went on to defend his title against Patricio Freire at Bellator 297 but then lost it to Patchy Mix at Bellator 301.

Horiguchi captured inaugural Rizin flyweight championship with a second-round submission of Makoto Takahashi this past December. He will return to bantamweight for the first time since September 2022.

The current Rizin 47 lineup includes:

  • Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Sergio Pettis
  • Juan Archuleta vs. Kleber Koike
  • Karshyga Dautbek vs. Tetsuya Seki

Bellator 301 results: Patchy Mix surgically submits Sergio Pettis to claim undisputed bantamweight title

Patchy Mix did what he does best and is now the undisputed Bellator bantamweight champion after beating Sergio Pettis.

Well, well, well. What do yo know? The master of the back take took his opponent’s back and finished him to claim the undisputed Bellator bantamweight championship.

[autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] can lay clam to that title after he surgically submitted champ [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] on Friday night at Bellator 301. Mix used what else but a rear-naked choke to make Pettis tap out at the 1:51 mark in the co-main event at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

After a first round in which Mix (19-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) had all the control time, he went right back to it in the second round. Unlike the first when he struggled to mount any major threats, Mix closed distance on Pettis (23-6 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) and immediately spun behind him. Mix pushed off the cage to get the fight down to the mat and from there used clean technique to secure the finish, trapping Pettis’ right arm with his leg while working for the choke. With only one arm to defend, Pettis didn’t stand a chance and had no choice but to quit.

“I’m the best in the world,” Mix said after the win. “135, I’m the best in the world.”

Since failing to claim gold from then-champ Juan Archuleta in September 2020, Mix has won six in a row and entered Friday night as the interim champ at 135 pounds after winning the promotion’s Bellator grand prix.

For Pettis, it’s his first loss in Bellator. He was on a five-fight winning streak in the promotion since leaving the UFC in 2019.

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Up-to-the-minute Bellator 301 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.

Video: Will Bellator 301 be the promotion’s curtain call?

Will there be a Bellator 302? Our “Spinning Back Clique” breaks down what could be the final event in Bellator 301.

If Bellator 301 is the final event for the promotion, there are some solid matchups to go out on.

The event taking place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago brings a pair of title fights along with a few other intriguing matchups. In the main event, [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] puts his welterweight title on the line against [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag]. In the co-feature, [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] in a bantamweight title unification bout.

Also on the card is a heated rivalry matchup between [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] and former interim bantamweight champ [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]. Former featherweight champion A.J. McKee also is in action against Sidney Outlaw. Rounding out the main card is a lightweight grand prix semifinal bout between Patricky Freire and Alexander Shabliy.

These are solid matchups on paper, but the event doesn’t seem to have the same buzz around it as the promotion’s previous event. Is it because the promotion’s future beyond this event is uncertain? Will there be a Bellator 302?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Nolan King and Brian “Goze” Garcia answered those questions with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode on YouTube below.

On his own (show)time: Sergio Pettis sets pace for fellow late bloomers at Bellator 301

Sergio Pettis has been out of his brother’s shadow for a long time. Now he wants to be an inspiration.

CHICAGO – There aren’t many people in the world who can speak authoritatively on what it’s like to have a sibling on a Wheatie’s box, but [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] is one of them.

For athletes the world over, being pictured on a Wheaties box has been one of the pinnacles of sports for nearly 90 years. So far, the only MMA fighter to be on the cereal brand’s packaging is Anthony Pettis, Sergio’s older brother. He was the UFC’s lightweight champion at the time.

Sergio said trying to live up to the expectations created by his brother helped shape who he became – which is Bellator’s bantamweight champion.

“I just want to be an example for everyone who’s a late bloomer,” Pettis told MMA Junkie and other media members at the pre-fight media day for Bellator 301. “I feel like I’m a late bloomer. It took me time to really develop my game, my skill and my confidence. Growing up, I was not a confident individual and I had a lot of anxiety. I was also under my brother’s shadow, but in those dark times I was able to learn who I am.”

Pettis (23-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) talked about that, as well as his bantamweight title unification fight against interim champ Patchy Mix (18-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) and more at the pre-fight media day for Bellator 301.

Check out Pettis’ full interview in the video above ahead of the event, which takes place Friday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.

Video: Bellator 301 media day faceoffs feature Yaroslav Amosov, Jason Jackson all buddy-buddy

Check out the faceoffs from Bellator 301 media day in Chicago, where Yaroslav Amosov and Jason Jackson had a friendly encounter.

CHICAGO – Bellator 301 media day took place Wednesday with all 10 main-card fighters in attendance, and MMA Junkie was on the scene for the festivities and faceoffs that ensued at the host hotel.

The main event features welterweight champion [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] defending his title against [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag]. And in the co-main event, champ [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] and interim champ [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] will meet to unify the bantamweight title.

Three other fights are featured on the main card: A rematch between bantamweight contenders [autotag]Danny Sabatello[/autotag] and [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag]; former featherweight champ [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Sidney Outlaw[/autotag] in a lightweight grand prix alternate bout; and a lightweight grand prix semifinal between [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexander Shabiliy[/autotag].

After each matchup’s fighters fielded questions from reporters, they came together for faceoffs, which you can watch in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.

UFC veterans in MMA action Nov. 17-19

Check out which veterans of the UFC are competing in combat sports across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC returns to its home base in Las Vegas after a big pay-per-view in New York.

UFC Fight Night 232 features a middleweight matchup between [autotag]Brendan Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag].

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

Check out which veterans of the global MMA leader are competing Nov. 17-19.

Scroll below to see how the UFC veterans fared last week, and see the names and details of this weekend’s competitors.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

Bellator 301’s Patchy Mix: Sergio Pettis ‘most dangerous opponent I’ve ever fought’

Patchy Mix is taking Sergio Pettis very seriously ahead of their bantamweight title unification bout at Bellator 301 in Chicago.

[autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] is taking [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] very seriously.

Interim bantamweight champion Mix (18-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) faces undisputed champ Pettis (23-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA) in a title unification bout that co-headlines Bellator 301 on Nov. 17 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

This will mark Mix’s second undisputed title opportunity after falling short to Juan Archuleta in 2020. Mix has since won five straight en route to winning the bantamweight grand prix with a knockout of Raufeon Stots. Although his streak includes wins over Kyoji Horiguchi, Magomed Magomedov, and Stots, he views Pettis as his toughest test to date.

“I fought for this belt before. I lost it against Juan Archuleta (on) Sept. 12, 2020, and I’m here with vengeance,” Mix told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m here fully prepared this time. It’s my fourth 25-minute fight in a row and I’m going to make it count.

“I’m fighting the most dangerous opponent I’ve ever fought in Sergio Pettis. He’s coming off a win over Patricio ”Pitbull’ (Freire), the guy that knocked out Michael Chandler. He’s dangerous as hell right now. He’s just entering in his prime, just turned 30 years old – it’s such a dangerous fight.”

Pettis has also racked up an impressive resume with wins over Archuleta, a knockout of Horiguchi, and most recently a title defense against arguably the promotion’s best fighter Patricio Freire. Mix has finished four of his past five opponents, and hopes he can add Pettis to that list.

“I’m searching for that high,” Mix said. “I really want to finish this guy and I really want to feel what it feels like to take out someone the calibre of Sergio Pettis.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Sept. 11-17)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 11-17.

Bellator 301 set for Chicago: 2 title fights, including Sergio Pettis vs. Patchy Mix, grand prix semifinal, grudge rematch

Despite the uncertain times for Bellator MMA, the promotion has booked a big show for Chicago in November.

Despite the uncertain times for Bellator MMA, the promotion continues to book events.

Wednesday, promotion officials informed MMA Junkie that Bellator 301 will take place Nov. 17 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago with two title fights, a tournament fight, and a grudge rematch already scheduled for the main card. The card was first announced on “The MMA Hour.”

In the main event, Bellator welterweight champion [autotag]Yaroslav Amosov[/autotag] (27-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) defends his title against [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 7-1 BMMA). The co-main event features a highly-anticipated bantamweight unification bout between undisputed champion [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 9-5 BMMA) and interim champion [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA).

The Bellator lightweight grand prix rolls on in the featured bout with a semifinal fight between [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (25-11 MMA, 16-9 BMMA) and [autotag]Alexander Shabliy[/autotag] (23-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA). Additionally, a bantamweight grudge match will be run back as [autotag]Danny Sabtello[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) gets a home state fight vs. [autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (19-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA).

The full Bellator 301 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET)

  • Champion Yaroslav Amosov vs. Jason Jackson – for welterweight title
  • Champion Patchy Mix vs. interim champion Patchy Mix – for bantamweight title unification
  • Patricky Freire vs. Alexander Shabliy
  • Danny Sabatello vs. Raufeon Stots

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 5 p.m. ET)

  • Ali Isaev vs. Daniel James
  • Tyrell Fortune vs. Marcelo Golm
  • Justin Gonzales vs. Timur Khizriev
  • Mike Hamel vs. Tim Wilde
  • Sumiko Inaba vs. Denise Kielholtz
  • Islam Mamedov vs. Killys Mota

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