Sergio Pettis Weighing Return To Flyweight After UFC 181 Bantamweight Win
Sergio Pettis may receive much of the attention he does due to the fact that he is the younger brother of reigning lightweight king Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, but it turns out that the younger Pettis brother is actually a great fighter in his own right.
Pettis picked up his third UFC win at UFC 181 last night (December 6, 2014), defeating Matt Hobar by decision on the preliminary card. Each of these wins inside of the Octagon have come at bantamweight for Pettis, but it looks as if he may not be staying there for long. He spoke up to MMAJunkie regarding the possible weight change:
“It was a good performance, but I think I might go down to 125 after this,” Pettis said. “These guys are a lot bigger than me (at bantamweight). I’ve been thinking about it for about a year, and I’m going to do a practice cut to see how it goes.”
Although Pettis secured a unanimous decision win last night, Hobar at one point found himself on top of Pettis, which may be due to the size and strength advantage that bantamweights have over on him.
Pettis is no stranger to the flyweight division, as he actually won the RFA inaugural flyweight title back in June 2013. With his skill level not being the problem, he may be suited better against opposition his size or even fighters that he may have a size advantage over.
Pettis then moved up to bantamweight and has been there ever since. He hasn’t necessarily been unsuccessful at the weight class, picking up wins over Will Campuzano, Yaotzin Meza, and now Hobart, but he may face some trouble when he starts battling more elite bantamweights.
For that reason, he wants to return to flyweight and fight the best:
“I want everyone in (the flyweight) division,” Pettis said. “Whoever the UFC puts in front of me, I’m ready for.”
This may be a smart move in regards to rankings and a title shot as well, considering the flyweight division is lacking contenders for champion Demetrious Johnson. If Pettis can pick up a few wins at 125 pounds, he may be fast tracked to a title shot, especially since so many fans know who he is.
Would you like to see the younger Pettis brother try his hand at flyweight again?
