Tag: Sergio Pettis

Bellator 297 post-event facts: Vadim Nemkov achieves rare feat in dominant title defense

Check out all the facts from Bellator 297, where Vadim Nemkov took another step toward arguably the greatest resume in Bellator history.

Bellator’s lone event of the month went down Friday with Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, and it was arguably the promotion’s biggest show of the year thus far.

Two championship bouts topped the card, and both men who entered the cage with belts, lefts with them, too. [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) handily defeated [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) by unanimous decision in the headliner to retain the light heavyweight strap, while [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (23-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) kept hold of bantamweight gold with a unanimous decision over [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-6 MMA, 22-6 BMMA).

For more on the numbers, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from Bellator 297.

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‘Battles with myself’: Sergio Pettis opens up about self-doubt, anxiety prior to Bellator 297 victory

Sergio Pettis opens up about the mental battles he faced ahead of Bellator 297 – and during his career as a whole.

CHICAGO – To the outside observer, it appeared smooth sailing for [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] when he defended his title Friday at Bellator 297.

During the lead-up to his main event bout at Winstar Arena, it seemed all eyes and most headlines were on Pettis’ opponent Patricio Freire, despite being title challenger. The spotlight wasn’t as much on the champion as it normally is.

Even Pettis (23-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) admits that he may have given in to doubt a little bit, though it’s not necessarily irregular for him pre-fight.

“I ain’t going to lie,” Pettis told MMA Junkie and other reporters. “I was telling my girl like, ‘Hey, if I lose to anybody, it’s OK to lose to Patricio ‘Pitbull.’ He’s a legend. I didn’t think I was going to lose, I just had battles in my mind. I was nervous, scared, all of the above. Eighteen months off from competing, so I kind of forgot how all this felt. It’s the opposite of Nate Diaz. I am surprised, motherf*ckers.”

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Pettis, 29, opened up in pre-fight interviews pertaining to his ongoing struggles with anxiety and depression. The issues became particularly spotlighted recently due to Pettis’ knee injury and recovery over the past year.

“It was something I had to battle for sure,” Pettis said. “It was an intense day for me today, pacing back and forth, sweating nonstop. I was definitely nervous. To get past that and have these battles with myself, I think that’s the thing that makes me perform my best. Thinking I’m going to lose and possibly going out there willing to risk it but not being afraid to lose. It’s a weird thing. I’ve got to figure it out.”

Despite the noise, Pettis defeated Freire (35-6 MMA, 23-6 BMMA) via unanimous decision. For the first time since the injury, Pettis has stability and clarity on his career path. He’ll fight interim bantamweight champion Patchy Mix next at a date and location to-be-announced.

“It’s awesome, man. My career is all lined up right now. Last year, I had no goals, no nothing set up for me – just recovery. To come back and be successful and have Patchy Mix next, I have some hitters at me over here at Bellator.”

“It’s been 18 months off and come back and have a performance like that,” Pettis said. “I didn’t get to watch it yet, but in my head it looked kind of good so I hope it looked good for everybody else.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

Sergio Pettis def. Patricio Freire at Bellator 297: Best photos

Check out these photos highlighting Sergio Pettis’ bantamweight title defense over Patricio Freire at Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXm3gutbf8E

Check out these photos highlighting [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag]’ bantamweight title defense over [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] at Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena. (Photos courtesy of Bellator MMA/Lucas Noonan)

Bellator 297 results: Sergio Pettis denies Patricio Freire’s historic attempt, sets up Patchy Mix fight

Sergio Pettis denied Patricio Freire’s attempt at history Friday when he swept the judges’ scorecards in Chicago.

CHICAGO – [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] played historic spoiler Friday when he swept the scorecards and defeated featherweight champion [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag].

In the Bellator 297 main event at Wintrust Arena, Pettis (23-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) defeated Freire (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45) to retain the bantamweight title.

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The first round was competitive, as Pettis utilized his striking and Freire found success with a caught kick into a takedown. In Round 2, the momentum changed dramatically when Pettis landed a late spinning wheel kick to the head that put Freire on the retreat. Freire wobbled backward to the fence and avoided a finishing blow until the horn sounded.

For the remainder of the fight, Pettis found success with his kicks and jab, the latter of which sliced and diced the face of Freire. While Freire found some success with his boxing and cage control, it wasn’t enough to sway the judges in his favor.

When the official decision read, Freire dropped to his knees in disbelief while an elated Pettis interviewed with John McCarthy.

Pettis successfully defends the title in his first attempt. He won the bantamweight championship in December 2021, but months later suffered a knee injury that kept him out of action for 14 months.

The win aligns Pettis with a unification bout against interim champion Patchy Mix, who the bantamweight grand prix with a knockout of Raufeon Stots in April. The two fighters squared off after the bout.

Freire falls short of history in an attempt to become the first fighter to win championships in three weight classes for the same major promotion. He currently holds the promotion’s featherweight title and held the lightweight title from 2019 to 2021.

The up-to-the-minute Bellator 297 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

Twitter reacts to Sergio Pettis’ title defense vs Patricio Freire at Bellator 297

The MMA community praised Sergio Pettis after he shut down Patricio Freire’s bid at history at Bellator 297.

[autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] rejected [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag]’s bid at history on Friday when he defended his bantamweight belt in the Bellator 297 co-headliner.

Pettis (23-5 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) returned from an 18-month hiatus due to injury and registered his first title defense courtesy of a lopsided victory over Freire (35-6 MMA, 22-6 BMMA), who was unsuccessful in his attempt to capture a third Bellator belt at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Pettis’ victory over Freire at Bellator 297.

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Bellator 297: Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Friday’s Bellator 297 odds and lines between Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire with MMA picks, tips and predictions.

In a bantamweight championship bout in the co-main event, Sergio Pettis and Patricio Freire meet Friday at Bellator 297 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Bellator 297: Pettis vs. Freire odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims are on live streaming on Bellator’s YouTube channel at 6 p.m. ET, with the main card on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET.

Freire, the current Bellator featherweight champ, had made one successful defense of that strap when he topped Adam Borics at Bellator 286 in October. His last fight was a unanimous-decision win over Kleber Koike Erbst in a non-title bout on New Year’s Eve. “Pitbull” has won 10 of his past 11 bouts overall dating back to April 21, 2017.

Pettis took the bantamweight title belt off of Juan Archuleta at Bellator 258 in early May 2021, winning by unanimous decision. He defended the strap with a 4th-round KO/TKO over Kyoji Horiguchi at Bellator 272 in Dec. 2021 in his most recent bout. The champ missed all of 2022 due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Bellator 297: Pettis vs. Freire odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Pettis +150 (bet $100 to win $150) | Freire -185 (bet $185 to win $100)

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Bellator 297: Pettis vs. Freire picks and predictions

Records: Pettis (22-5-0) | Freire (35-5-0)

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

PETTIS (+150) enters this fight after the long road back from ACL surgery and rehab. The last time we saw him at 135 pounds, he was dropping Horiguchi to retain his strap.

Freire is looking to make history by winning a title in a third division at Bellator, but one of the greatest of all time in the company will have to wait. Pettis is hungry to get back into action, and he is a tremendous value as an underdog.

Pettis should be able to go this one done, but don’t be surprised to see him have to wow the judges and get it done on points.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and us on Facebook.

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Bellator 297 ceremonial faceoffs video: Title combatants keep it intense but respectful

Watch the 30 fighters competing at Bellator 297 come face-to-face with their opponents for the final time ahead of the fights.

CHICAGO – Bellator 297 takes place Friday at Wintrust Arena and the fighters came face-to-face Thursday for the final time before they throw down in the cage.

Main event combatants [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) had a respectful faceoff. Nemkov seeks his fourth title defense while Romero challenges for a Bellator title for the first time.

A highly-anticipated co-main event super-fight produced an intense faceoff as bantamweight champion [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA) stared each other down.

The fight marks Pettis’ first in 14 months since a serious knee injury. For Freire, the bout is his first at bantamweight and an opportunity for him to capture Bellator gold in a third weight division.

The full Bellator 297 lineup includes:

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

  • Champ Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire – for bantamweight title
  • Corey Anderson vs. Phil Davis
  • Daniel James vs. Gokhan Saricam

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Wladmir Gouvea vs. Gabriel Sayeg
  • Kyle Crutchmer vs. Bobby Nash
  • Pieter Buist vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov
  • Ramazan Kuramagomedov vs. Jaleel Willis
  • Mike Hamel vs. Shamil Nikaev
  • Norbert Novenyi Jr. vs. Kamil Oniszczuk
  • Archie Colgan vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
  • Karl Moore vs. Alex Polizzi
  • Timur Khizriev vs. Richie Smullen
  • Jordan Newman vs. Matthew Perry
  • Edwin Chavez vs. Cody Law
  • David McKinney vs. Max Metzgar

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

Bellator 297 video: Sergio Pettis, Patricio Freire make weight, show off bantamweight physiques

Champions Sergio Pettis and Patricio Freire came in light ahead of their showdown at Bellator 297.

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

Bellator 297 weigh-in results: Patricio Freire lighter than necessary for bantamweight debut

Check out the results from the official Bellator 297 fighter weigh-ins in Chicago.

CHICAGO – MMA Junkie was on scene at Friday’s official Bellator 297 fighter weigh-ins, which took place at the Bellator host hotel in Chicago.

The nearby Wintrust Arena hosts Friday’s event, which has a main card on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Among those who weighed in were light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] (16-2 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) and challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), who meet in the main event. Both fighters made weight. Nemkov was first of all the fighters to take the scale and weighed 203.8. Minutes later, Romero weighed 205 with a towel, which created a comedic moment with Bellator fighter operations’ Burt Watson.

Bantamweight champ [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] (22-5 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) and featherweight titleholder [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] (35-5 MMA, 23-5 BMMA), who is trying for Bellator history with a title in a third division, also took to the scales.

Much buzz was made about Freire’s move to bantamweight, but Friday he proved any doubters wrong when he came in lighter than needed – at 134.2 pounds. Pettis affirmed his reputation as a professional when he came in even lighter, at 134 pounds.

The weigh-ins were rapid-fire to start, as 29 athletes weighed in during the first 15 minutes of the one-hour window. Welterweight [autotag]Jaleel Willis[/autotag] (16-4 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) was the lone fighter outside of the initial burst, but he made 171 with the towel.

The full Bellator 297 weigh-in results include:

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

  • Champ Vadim Nemkov (203.8) vs. Yoel Romero (205) – for light heavyweight title
  • Champ Sergio Pettis (134) vs. Patricio Freire (134.2) – for bantamweight title
  • Corey Anderson (205) vs. Phil Davis (206)
  • Daniel James (265) vs. Gokhan Saricam (246)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Wladmir Gouvea (264) vs. Gabriel Sayeg (261)
  • Kyle Crutchmer (171) vs. Bobby Nash (171)
  • Pieter Buist (156) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (156)
  • Ramazan Kuramagomedov (170) vs. Jaleel Willis (171)
  • Mike Hamel (155) vs. Shamil Nikaev (156)
  • Norbert Novenyi Jr. (185) vs. Kamil Oniszczuk (186)
  • Archie Colgan (155) vs. Emmanuel Sanchez (155)
  • Karl Moore (205) vs. Alex Polizzi (204)
  • Timur Khizriev (145) vs. Richie Smullen (145)
  • Jordan Newman (186) vs. Matthew Perry (184)
  • Edwin Chavez (146) vs. Cody Law (145)

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.

Video: Whose legacy will be impacted most between the two Bellator 297 title fights?

We discuss how Yoel Romero, Vadim Nemkov, Sergio Pettis, and Patricio Freire could have their legacies impacted in a big way at Bellator 297.

Bellator has one of the biggest events in its history Friday in Chicago with two title fights at the top of the bill.

In the main event of Bellator 297, [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] puts his light heavyweight title on the line against former UFC title challenger [autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag]. In the co-feature, [autotag]Sergio Pettis[/autotag] returns from injury to defend his bantamweight title against featherweight champ [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag].

Nemkov is in the conversation for the best light heavyweight in the world, and if he’s victorious against the always-dangerous Romero, his argument will only strengthen. If Romero wins at 46, he will have an incredible achievement in the late stage of his career.

Freire is attempting to make history again, as he looks to claim a world title in a third division. Questions surround him about his weight cut for this one, but also, Pettis may have some rust to knock off after being out of action since December 2021.

Who has the most on the line here? History and legacies are at play, but which outcome has the biggest impact? Would it be Romero’s late title run? Would it be Freire daring to be great, and even going further for a fourth title at flyweight? Will a Pettis victory place him among the greats at 135 pounds?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Mike Bohn, Dan Tom, and Brian “Goze” Garcia answer those questions with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their discussion in the video above and check out this week’s full episode below.

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