Pettis denies 'Pitbull' historic third title

The triumph was Pettis' 5th since joining Bellator, extending his streak to six.

Sergio Pettis bushed Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire by unanimous determination to clasp his bantamweight rubric and contradict the Brazilian the accidental to go a three-weight satellite champion astatine Bellator 297 successful Chicago.

Featherweight champion and erstwhile lightweight rubric holder Freire, 35, was looking to go the archetypal triple champion successful a large MMA promotion.

Pettis was joined afterwards successful the cage by interim champion Patchy Mix, mounting up a unification bout betwixt the pair.

In the main lawsuit astatine the Wintrust Arena, Russia's Vadim Nemkov defended his light-heavyweight rubric arsenic helium outclassed Yoel Romero implicit 5 rounds.

Nemkov, 30, importantly out-struck Romero, 46, successful each round, preventing the Cuban from becoming the oldest ever champion successful a large MMA organisation.

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• Watch the Bellator 297 prelims connected BBC iPlayer

Pettis sends reminder to bantamweight division

Freire's achievements successful Bellator led galore to believe, including Pettis, that helium is the top combatant to ever grace the promotion.

He is simply a grounds three-time featherweight champion and became the 2nd idiosyncratic successful Bellator history, aft Ryan Bader, to clasp belts simultaneously successful 2 divisions erstwhile helium bushed Michael Chandler for the lightweight rubric successful 2019.

In attempting to go the archetypal triple champion successful a large MMA promotion, Freire was dropping down to bantamweight for the archetypal clip and described the 10-pound value driblet arsenic "the easiest of his career".

Pettis, meanwhile, was competing for the archetypal clip successful implicit 18 months - the longest lay-off of his vocation - aft suffering a superior genu wounded which required surgery.

During his clip connected the sidelines, American combatant Mix, 29, claimed the interim rubric aft winning Bellator's Bantamweight Grand Prix tournament, with galore pundits and fans expecting a unification bout with Pettis upon his return.

Bellator opted for Freire, however, with Pettis describing the bout arsenic an accidental to adhd to his legacy.

Freire was the archetypal ever challenger successful a Bellator champion versus champion bout to driblet down a division, and overmuch of the pre-fight treatment was however the value chopped would impact his performance.

The quality successful size wasn't excessively noticeable betwixt the fighters, but Pettis carried the faster velocity which proved important successful victory.

After a timid archetypal circular with some fighters landing limb kicks from distance, Pettis started to unfastened up successful the second, landing body-shot combinations and a flamboyant spinning instrumentality footwear which wounded Freire.

Pettis continued to out-strike Freire arsenic humor poured from a chopped supra the Brazilian's near eye, and though Freire landed a mates of takedowns, helium was incapable to woody immoderate damage.

Cheered connected by member and erstwhile UFC champion Anthony astatine cageside, Pettis safely navigated the extremity of the fight, countering a much urgent Freire with swift combinations successful the last circular arsenic the Brazilian looked for a knockout.

After the doorbell rang, some fighters bowed to each different earlier Freire sunk to his knees successful contemplation upon proceeding helium had lost.

"I privation to dedicate this combat to anyone going done atrocious times. Depression, pessimistic thoughts, for anyone who's overlooked," said Pettis.

"Bellator, I'm taking retired your poster boys - [Kyoji] Horiguchi, Pitbull - it's astir clip I got immoderate respect."

Romero disappoints successful rubric bout

Nemkov is unbeaten successful 12 fights, past suffering decision successful 2016.

Coached by MMA fable Fedor Emelianenko, Nemkov has dominated the light-heavyweight part since winning the rubric disconnected Ryan Bader successful 2020, defending the loop 4 times going into the bout to widen his triumph streak to 10.

Romero acceptable up the accidental with Nemkov pursuing 2 awesome knockout victories, his astir caller coming against Melvin Manhoef successful September.

The erstwhile UFC middleweight rubric challenger is 1 of the astir fashionable fighters connected the Bellator roster, with his explosive punching powerfulness and unpredictability captivating fans.

But Romero's show against Nemkov was mostly disappointing arsenic helium seldom threatened throughout.

Nemkov was the aboriginal aggressor, landing punches and kicks to Romero's assemblage and caput seemingly astatine will, and the signifier continued.

In the 2nd round, stats showed Nemkov had thrown 88 punches compared to Romero's 10, with the Cuban looking to burst with powerfulness and stun the Russian.

Romero is simply a erstwhile satellite champion and Olympic metallic medallist successful freestyle wrestling, but similar successful erstwhile fights helium didn't sprout for takedowns, contempt being heavy out-struck.

The 3rd circular saw Romero wobbling astir the cage, pretending to beryllium wounded and trying to lure Nemkov into a mistake, and though the theatrics fired up the Chicago assemblage arsenic they chanted the Cuban's name, it wasn't capable to enactment the champion disconnected his gameplan.

Romero recovered little moments of occurrence successful the second rounds, landing a superman punch and a takedown towards the end, but Nemkov ne'er appeared successful immoderate information and was comfortably up connected the scorecards arsenic the doorbell rang.

"I americium precise arrogant I shared the cage contiguous with specified a large hostile similar Romero," said Nemkov.

"I was trying to onshore my punches from region but helium has a precise beardown head. I got confused a small bit, I saw helium was acting up a small spot [in the 3rd round], but kept doing my job."