The online community that follows mixed martial arts is an environment in which spectators and experts want to be the first to point out the “next big thing” in the sport. Thus, even before this past Saturday, many people had already hopped aboard the bandwagon of bantamweight Sergio Pettis — the brother of UFC lightweight Anthony Pettis — following his two-year rise to “fame” simply because of his last name. And after the way he dispatched Dillard Pegg to become the Resurrection Fighting Alliance’s first ever 125-pound champion,
many fans and media members now expect the younger Pettis to make the jump to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, who they expect to come calling imminently. The rumors started before Pettis stepped into the cage that night and took the belt with a 51-second knockout, improving his record to 8-0. And now, with just under two years of professional experience, the question is whether or not he will follow the elder Pettis onto the biggest stage in MMA.
At this point in time, the answer should be “No.” Sergio is 19 years old and will turn 20 in August. As a new champion he should be focused on defending his title, and developing his skills to a point where he will be able to contend with the roster of flyweights that is beginning to take shape within the UFC. He hasn’t yet faced an opponent that is on par with those who work for Zuffa, so his best bet is to gain as much experience as possible before stepping into the Octagon.
Some may argue the contrary, pointing towards the examples of Jon Jones and Chris Weidman. Jones was 20 years old before making the move to the Octagon, with just 7 professional bouts, while Weidman was 27 with a 4-0 professional record before he stepped in at the last minute against Alessio Sakara at UFC Live on Versus 3 in March 2011. We’ve seen these two individuals become two of the best in the sport today; however, it is tough to put those same expectations on Pettis.
Instead, Pettis should spend 2-3 more years outside of the UFC to build his brand and develop into an adult. As the UFC and MMA as a whole continues to move towards mainstream status, some fighters are establishing themselves outside of the cage while winning within it. His brother “Showtime” was prominently featured in the trailer for Electronic Arts’ newest UFC video game, and similar opportunities await Sergio if he is capable of building his brand and making the UFC want him more. Hector Lombard benefited from doing so, and Eddie Alvarez almost did the same.
If Pettis really is the best thing the flyweight division has to offer, he should be given the opportunity to be paid for it handsomely. He will be worth more money to Zuffa than he currently is if he can continue this run for 2 or 3 more years. Yes, he could take the opportunity to make the jump now, but shouldn’t he attempt to place himself in the best position financially when he finally does make that jump? Indeed, waiting is the best bet for Sergio Pettis at this time, as he develops both physically and in terms of his brand within the fight game.
