It’s a relatively tame week in mixed martial arts but one of the most intriguing matchups of the year is quietly tucked away in the co-main event of Bellator 301. Sergio Pettis and Patchy Mix unify the bantamweight title on Friday in a fight between two of the best 135-pound fighters on the planet.
It’s amazing how one performance can force you to reimagine a fighter. Pettis was something of an underdog champion, narrowly defeating Kyoji Horiguchi with a late Hail Mary knockout in his first title defense. The Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix was his chance to change that perception. But an injury robbed Pettis of the opportunity, 18 months of his career and the $1 million prize. Upon his return, Pettis was greeted by a seemingly insurmountable challenge: welcoming former two-division champ Patricio Pitbull to the division. Pettis neutered Pitbull. The scrappy underdog became the alpha, nearly sweeping Bellator’s greatest fighter on the cards.
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