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Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff Writer
The story going into the fight was all about Patricio Freire. “Pitbull” is the best fighter in Bellator history, the only athlete on the roster to have four different championship reigns across two weight classes.
On Friday night, Freire was trying to make history by winning a third divisional title, something no fighter in major MMA had ever done. Sergio Pettis, though, had other plans.
Pettis, the defending Bellator bantamweight champion, held off Freire in a poised performance in the co-main event of Bellator 297 in Chicago to retain the title and stop Bellator’s franchise fighter from adding an unprecedented accolade to his résumé. Pettis won the bout via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) and was in control throughout.
Freire remains the reigning Bellator featherweight champion. He is also a former Bellator lightweight champion. Pettis will now look to unify the Bellator bantamweight title against interim champion Patchy Mix later this year.
ESPN has Freire ranked No. 4 in the world at featherweight. Mix is No. 9 at bantamweight and Pettis has a chance to crack those rankings soon. This was his first fight back since December 2021, coming off knee surgery, and he was outstanding given the layoff.
Freire had some moments early, including a big takedown in the first round, and had some hard right hands in the second. But Pettis was the craftier, slicker and faster fighter at bantamweight. Freire didn’t have the speed advantage he often does up a weight class and he didn’t necessarily carry his power down to 135 pounds, either. “Pitbull” took Pettis down a couple of times, but his work on the ground was not a difference-maker.
Pettis (23-5) has won five straight, including his final fight in the UFC before leaving as a free agent in 2019. The Milwaukee native and younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony has been Bellator bantamweight champion since beating Juan Archuleta in May 2021. Pettis, 29, went 9-5 in the UFC and was a contender at both bantamweight and flyweight, where he beat the division’s current champion, Brandon Moreno.
Freire (35-6) had a three-fight winning streak snapped. The Brazilian-born fighter beat AJ McKee to win the Bellator featherweight title for a third time in April 2022. Freire, 35, has the most wins in Bellator history (22) and the most wins in Bellator title fights (12).
In the main event of Bellator 297, Vadim Nemkov successfully defended his light heavyweight title against the ageless Yoel Romero via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46). Nemkov dominated the whole way, except for a trying moment in the third when it looked like Romero dropped him with a punch. It actually was just a slip and Nemkov cruised from there.
Nemkov (17-2, 1 NC) is unbeaten in 12 straight fights. The Russia native has the most consecutive light heavyweight title defenses in Bellator history (4). Nemkov, 30, is 10-0 (1 NC) in Bellator. ESPN has him ranked No. 5 in the world at light heavyweight.
Romero (15-7) had a two-fight winning streak snapped. The Cuban-born fighter, who lives and trains in Florida, departed the UFC in 2021 with his final fight for the promotion being a loss to Israel Adesanya in a UFC middleweight title fight. Romero, 46, is one of the oldest active fighters in major MMA. He won the freestyle wrestling silver medal in the Olympics back in 2000.