Bellator 242: Sergio Pettis Impresses Against Ricky Bandejas In Bellator’s Return
Nostalgia filled the air as Bellator returned to the Mohegan Sun Arna in Uncasville, CT for Bellator 242. It had been 134 days since the promotion last put on an event, in Dublin, thanks to COVID-19. Back home, Scott Coker and company knew they had to impress on day one of the new normal.
It was Sergio Pettis who would impress in the main event, as he beat Ricky Bandejas via unanimous decision. As a result, Pettis is one step closer to fighting for the Bellator Bantamweight Title.
Pettis (20-5), a flyweight, looked like he belonged at bantamweight for the long-run, as Bandejas (13-4) would get hit with early combination shots. Bandejas for his part hit back kicks and would try and attack the body. Pettis, however, would respond with kicks of his own. It would be a theme of the night that negatively affected Bandejas.
Bandejas would land a late takedown before the round ended, but it appeared that would be the only momentum he would have.
.@RickyBandejas gets the takedown as we near the end of round 1️⃣.#Bellator242 pic.twitter.com/ockUjD8QLv
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) July 25, 2020
Both exchanged clear shots against one another to start round two. Pettis would break free with one-two combinations and a low calf kick. Bandejas would try for another takedown but Pettis reversed it and came out on top. Pettis’ defense was used exceptionally well, and he would land a Superman Punch late in the round. Following a counter right and a body shot, Pettis appeared to take control.
We've got some quick back & forth going on between @RickyBandejas and @SergioPettis in round 2️⃣.#Bellator242 pic.twitter.com/8PUx9juXPY
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) July 25, 2020
Round three saw Pettis as the aggressor as Bandejas would have his hands down throughout the round. In fact, his corner was yelling at him to put them up at several points. Pettis would land one-two combinations and overtook rights. The calf kicks from earlier would come into play as Bandejas looked to be slowing down. Pettis landed a spinning leg lick and would seemingly end the fight with several strikes that Bandejas had no answer for.
In total, Pettis landed 57 out of 142 total strikes compared to Bandejas’ 28 out of 97. Pettis, who is on a three-fight win streak and 4-2 in his last six, will now face the winner of Juan Archuleta v. Patrick Mix. Bellator announced during the broadcast that those two would fight for the Bellator Bantamweight Title, which became vacant when Kyoji Horiguchi vacated it following an injury.
Bandejas’ two-fight win streak has ended. He is now 3-3 inside the Bellator cage.