The climax of Bellator’s highly anticipated event has the promotions bantamweight champion defend his belt against a staple name in the martial arts community. Juan Archuleta vs Sergio Pettis is set to be a stylistic war and both men have all the techniques to put each other away. Let us discuss the abilities each fighter possesses heading into this title clash for the ages.
A Look at the Fighters
Juan Archuleta steps into the cage for the third time since his loss at the end of an 18 fight winning streak against Patricio Pitbull, he looks to put a big name away and add to his already legendary legacy. “The Spaniard” is possibly Europes most decorated combat sports athlete boasting a record of 25 wins and only two losses. Archuleta has a ruthless takedown offense and can hit so hard that when his opponents are rocked, they somehow lose consciousness when resting in between rounds.
TKO’s, KO’s, and ruthless aggression are what “The Spaniards” career is built off of. Archuleta has a mighty challenge in front of him but like 25 men before him, he has no doubt he can get the job done. His biggest threats are his ducking overhands and his relentless pressure in top mount. Striking with this killer is just as dangerous as trying to grapple.
Sergio Pettis heads into this bout coming off of a three-fight winning streak. “The Phenom” lives up to the name of his brother, legendary Martial Artist Anthony Pettis. The unorthodox striking and unreal cardio output make Pettis one of the promotion’s biggest stars and when he steps into this title fight, he will be looking to put on an amazing performance.
Juan Archuleta vs Sergio Pettis is going to be a chess match. Every strike will be so calculated until the fighters reach the deep waters. If we get into those championship rounds, cardio will be king and could lead to a fight-ending sequence. Both men have amazing durability and battle-tested chins, their defence holds up so well and there are almost zero faults in their games.
Pettis can throw headlocks out of nowhere and has power in his hands that could knock out a heavyweight. His cardio allows him to triple up on leg kicks and then throw a flying knee without even taking a heavy breath. “The Phenom” looks to add another belt to the large collection that the Pettis name already boasts and with so many tools in his arsenal, he can definitely get the job done.
Juan Archuleta vs Sergio Pettis Breakdown
Archuleta has power that is just too dangerous for Pettis to even test. “The Spaniard” should look to use his grappling heavy pressure to fatigue “The Phenom”. Bodyshots could be the key for a new champion to be crowned. Archuleta tends to duck when throwing power shots. If his cardio is stripped with ruthless body shots, not only does this reduce takedown offense to a minimum, but it could also lead to “The Spaniard” ducking straight into a lethal, fight-ending strike.
Archuleta will use the clinch to benefit his wrestle-heavy style. Knees spell success for him and when it comes to the striking, his ability to smoothly move off of the centerline should definitely give him some openings. Juan Archuleta vs Sergio Pettis has all the makings to be Bellator’s greatest title fight to date. There is so much talent that this card holds and its finishing bout might just make this the promotion’s best event to date.
Juan Archuleta vs Sergio Pettis is set to be “The Spaniards” first title defense and if successful, we could be looking at one of the greatest resumes that the bantamweight division, no matter the promotion, has ever seen. Both of these fighters will drag each other to their absolute limits and with power on the feet and the ground, this match makes the unpredictability of this sport that much more exciting.
With a huge main card where we will truly witness history, we round it all off with what is set to be a fight of the year contender. This bout will really show fans the true meaning of being a champion. Be sure to tune into Juan Archuleta vs Sergio Pettis this Friday at Bellator 258.
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Featured Image Credits to Bellator
