Bellator and PFL takeaways: Sergio Pettis derails historical past by way of reminding the arena he is elite at 135

There was once quite a lot of motion throughout MMA over the weekend with PFL Common Season: Heavyweights and Ladies’s Featherweights and Bellator 297 in Chicago on Friday night time and UFC Struggle Evening in Las Vegas on Saturday.

In Friday’s motion, protecting champions Ante Delija and Larissa Pacheco were given wins, however just one (Pacheco) was once ready to seal a place on this 12 months’s PFL playoffs. On the identical time, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire fell in need of making MMA historical past in opposition to reigning Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis. And Yoel Romero, who attempted to search out the fountain of teen with a large win over Vadim Nemkov, was once not able to win the Bellator mild heavyweight name.

Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi, Jeff Wagenheim and Andres Waters destroy down essentially the most attention-grabbing and absolute best moments from a dramatic Friday and Saturday in MMA motion.

Raimondi: Pettis steals the display whilst derailing historical past

Sergio Pettis by no means seems like the focus. It is one thing he is almost certainly handled during his existence. Them’s the breaks of being the more youthful brother of a flashy former UFC light-weight champion (Anthony) who as soon as seemed at the duvet of a Wheaties field.

Friday was once some other instance of Pettis being a secondary idea. He was once the champion protecting his Bellator bantamweight name in opposition to Patricio “Pitbull” at Bellator 297 in Chicago — and everybody was once speaking about “Pitbull.” Freire was once transferring down in weight to win a 3rd divisional name, one thing no fighter in primary MMA historical past has ever completed. Pettis was once a footnote.

On best of that, Pettis vs. “Pitbull” wasn’t even the principle tournament at the card. Nemkov’s mild heavyweight name protection in opposition to Romero, the ageless, idiosyncratic UFC veteran, were given best billing.

Regardless of all of that, have you learnt who was once the famous person of the development? Sergio Pettis. Whilst everybody was once fixated on “Pitbull” — rather, since he was once chasing one thing remarkable — Pettis went out and had the most productive efficiency of his profession, a poised, chic trip the place he stored “Pitbull” at bay, beat him to the punch and proved he is an elite skill at 135 kilos.

The under-the-radar tale is that Pettis has no longer fought since December 2021 because of knee surgical treatment. He needed to pull out of the Bellator Bantamweight Global Grand Prix on account of the damage. During the last year-plus, it felt just like the department had moved on with out him. Patchy Combine gained the match in April over Raufeon Stots and took house the Bellator period in-between bantamweight name. Combine has transform the brand new “it” identify within the department.

What may Pettis do to achieve some consideration again? How a few complete victory over “Pitbull,” the most productive fighter in Bellator historical past? Pettis and Combine confronted off after the bout within the cage, as that long term combat will have to be extremely high-level.

In his postfight interview, Pettis stated he is crushed all of Bellator’s poster boys, from Juan Archuleta to Kyoji Horiguchi and now “Pitbull.” However sooner than he has to fret about Combine, it is time to give Pettis his flora as one of the most absolute best bantamweight combatants on the planet. His face will not be decorated on a Wheaties field any time quickly like his older brother Anthony, however child brother has moved out of the shadow of his brother and others and in any case come into his personal with a career-defining win.

Wagenheim: PFL discovering new blood at heavyweight

The PFL misplaced a protecting heavyweight champion from its playoff image however won a few robust contenders for this 12 months’s $1 million prize.

Ante Delija gained Friday’s primary tournament in opposition to Maurice Greene by way of unanimous choice, but it surely wasn’t just right sufficient to earn him a playoff spot. The issue for Delija is that he had pulled out of his April season opener because of damage, so this was once his simplest alternative to accumulate issues. He had to end throughout the first part of Spherical 1, and it did not occur for him.

Delija can be neglected, however no longer up to he would have if no longer for the performances of a few different giant guys previous within the night time. You’ll have neglected them should you blinked.

First, Denis Goltsov knocked out Yorgan De Castro in a PFL heavyweight-record 18 seconds, the usage of a unmarried instantly proper hand to get the process completed. In a while after, Renan Ferreira KO’d Matheus Scheffel in 50 seconds with a lightning flurry in opposition to the cage.

The ones had been explosively spectacular performances by way of the pair of PFL stalwarts. For Goltsov, that is the 3rd instantly 12 months he has earned a place within the playoffs; he misplaced a semifinal to Delija in 2022 however may no longer compete in ultimate 12 months’s semis on account of an issue along with his visa. Ferreira was once bounced from ultimate season’s playoffs by way of Delija; his giant PFL second got here the 12 months sooner than, when he TKO’d former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum, even though the end result was once modified to a no contest after it was once dominated that Ferreira could have previous tapped out.

Now Goltsov and Ferreira have momentum heading into the playoffs, seeded Nos. 1 and a couple of. There will be no Delija status of their manner. No Bruno Cappelozza, both, because the 2021 champ was once suspended after checking out sure for a banned substance. When the heavyweights start their playoffs on June 16 in New York, Goltsov will face fourth-seeded Jordan Heiderman and Ferreira will combat No. 3 seed Marcelo Nunes. Each Heiderman and Nunes scored first-round knockouts, too, on Friday.

So be expecting fireworks within the heavyweight playoffs.

Waters: Novenyi Jr. extends unbeaten streak

Bellator’s Norbert Novenyi Jr. continues to end up he will have a shiny long term forward of him. On Friday night time, Novenyi wanted simplest 46 seconds to protected the 5th win with the promotion and 6th profession win with a knockout over Kamil Oniszczuk. The win was once additionally Novenyi’s 3rd consecutive first-round end.