UFC bantamweight Sergio Pettis, younger brother of lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, will clash with Matt Hobar at UFC 181 on Dec. 6.
Pettis comes into the contest a winner, scoring a unanimous-decision victory over veteran ground specialist Yaotzin Meza. In the bout, Pettis used an effective combination of striking to defeat the 33-year-old. At 21 years old with a record of 11-1, Pettis is talented but still evolving, and he knows that.
"I was starting to get a little bit more loose," Pettis told MMAFighting following the contest. "I'm going to get back in the gym right off the seven-day break they're giving me. I'm going to get back in the gym and work on my game."
Pettis made his professional debut when he was just 18 years-old and won via a blistering head kick in the first round. He then went on to score three straight wins by submission. Pettis sometimes ends up on his back, but by no means does that make for a disadvantage.
The blue belt in jiu-jitsu has submitted two men while fighting off his back. Like his older brother, Pettis utilizes an active guard. The duo trains at Roufusport, which is ran by owner and head mixed martial arts coach Duke Roufus. Roufus, who was a longtime champion kickboxer, believes Sergio is on a path similar to his brothers'.
"Sergio is doing great," Roufus told CagePotato. "He looked great in that fight [UFC debut] against an excellent fighter [Will Campuzano], and he can do even better. He was nervous, but he handled it very well."
The Milwaukee native earned a UFC contract by defeating James Porter with a first-round kimura. Multiple times in the fight, Pettis was pressured but utilized his butterfly guard to keep the wrestler elevated. Pettis would secure wrist control on Porter's left arm before rolling him over to finish the fight.
His UFC debut was put in jeopardy when his original opponent, Vaughan Lee, pulled out of the fight because of an injury. Pettis instead fought UFC and WEC veteran Campuzano, whom he defeated in a fairly one-sided contest.
"The nerves were there," Pettis said of his debut, per MMAFighting. "I tried to showcase my jiu-jitsu a little bit. I thought it was a lot closer fight than how they [the judges] called it."
Next up for Pettis would be top-15 bantamweight Alex Caceres. Despite the ranking, Pettis was the favorite heading into the fight. The unpredictable striker proved to be a tough puzzle to crack, but Pettis was clearly the aggressor on the night. However, a late mistake on a takedown attempt cost the young bantamweight.
"It's very tough to lose," Pettis told MMAFighting. "It taught me a lot, and the next fight, for sure, I'm going to prove myself."
It's easy to get caught up in trying to give the fans what they'd like to see, which is perhaps what happened in the Caceres fight. Pettis appeared to have outsmarted himself in looking to put an exclamation point on a fight that he was likely winning. He successfully shook off the cobwebs against Meza, opting for the less attractive approach that he and his brother are known for.
In less than a month, both brothers fight on the UFC 181 card in Las Vegas with a lot at stake. Anthony will be defending his 155-pound title for the first time against top contender Gilbert Melendez and is coming off PCL surgery. His disciple, Sergio, will look to build some steam and show why he's a real threat to the rest of the bantamweight division.
Hobar, the man he will be facing on that early December night, presents a stylistic matchup that Pettis is all too familiar with. The Texas native grounded Aaron Phillips back in late August by stifling his attack with six takedowns and followed that up with short punches.
Pettis will be dealing with a foe who is four inches taller and a southpaw. He hasn't faced many southpaws outside of Caceres, but his performance against "Bruce Leeroy" should serve him well. Hobar, who has much success with his ground-and-pound, will have a much more difficult time adjusting to the high-level ground game of Pettis. If the fight stays standing, the advantage will be in Pettis' corner.
He has dealt with wrestlers before, and now with a healthy amount of UFC opponents under his belt, he can trust his instincts and skills to carry him to a win. Pettis knows his time will come and that finishes are on their way.
"They're [critics] going to keep comparing me to him [Anthony]," Pettis told MMAFighting following his latest victory. "He's finishing his fights, and I'm still going to decisions. It's just a matter of time before I get to that point."
It took his older brother a setback to rejuvenate his career. It's time to see if it's the younger brother's coming out party.
