One of these days, we might see Sergio Pettis get a finish in the UFC.
That moment did not come Saturday night at UFC on ESPN+ 17. However, the Milwaukee-based flyweight did get a much-needed victory.
In a bout that can best be described as “tactical,” Pettis (18-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) outmaneuvered veteran Tyson Nam for 15 minutes to earn a unanimous decision on counts of 30-27 across the board in an undercard bout at Mexico City Arena.
With the win, Pettis snapped a two-fight losing streak. He also matched Gray Maynard as the only fighters in UFC history to have all of their first nine victories go the distance.
The opening round was mostly fought at distance as the duo attempted to figure out their range. Pettis initiated most of the round’s minimal contact, including flicking a few flashy kicks.
Nam (18-10-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), a 35-year-old Hawaiian who has competed professionally since 2006, was making his UFC debut on short notice, replacing an injured Alex Perez.
Nam noticeably picked up the pace in the second round as he pushed forward, but Pettis effortlessly eluded him and countered what were mainly single strikes thrown by his foe.
In case there was any doubt, Pettis sealed things in the final round, smartly picking his spots and landing strong counters when Nam, who seemed to know he was down on the cards, pushed forward.
The bout was part of the UFC on ESPN+ 17 preliminary card. The event streamed on ESPN+.
Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN+ 17 results include:
- Sergio Pettis def. Tyson Nam via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Paul Craig def. Vinicius Moreira via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 3:19
- Bethe Correia def. Sijara Eubanks via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Claudio Puelles def. Marcos Mariano via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-25)
