Bellator 297: Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero keeps it moving to the co-main event in the bantamweight division as the champion Sergio Pettis is set to defend his bantamweight championship against Patricio Pitbull. This is Pettis' first fight since being fully recovered from his injury meanwhile, Pitbull will be looking for double champ status and the first-ever three-division champion in MMA history come Friday night. With that said, check out our Bellator odds series for our Pettis-Pitbull prediction and pick.

Sergio Pettis (22-5) became the undisputed bantamweight champion back in 2021 when he defeated Kyoji Horiguchi by vicious spinning back fist knockout. When he was getting ready for his first title defense against former teammate Raufeon Stots in the bantamweight grand prix he got injured which sidelined him for all of 2022. He is now finally back to defend his title for the first time as he takes on Patricio Pitbull.

Patricio Pitbull (35-5) is the current Bellator Featherweight Champion and will be looking to become a two-time two-division champ as well as become the first-ever to become the three-division champion in MMA history. History could be in the making come Friday when Pitbull takes on the champ Sergio Pettis on Friday night.

Here are the Bellator Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

Bellator 297 Odds: Sergio Pettis-Patricio Pitbull Odds

Sergio Pettis: +160

Patricio Pitbull: -198

How to Watch Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Pitbull

TV: Showtime

Stream: Showtime App

Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)

Why Sergio Pettis Will Win

Sergio Pettis made the right move when he signed with Bellator. Since joining on with his new promotion, he's gone 5-0 and won his first world title in a major promotion. Unfortunately, he's been out of action for over a year due to injury and missed out on his chance to defend his title while winning $1 Million in the bantamweight grand prix. Instead, he now comes back against his stiffest competition to date in his Bellator career when he takes on the current featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull.

Pettis' best attribute is his striking and his ability to keep the fight at his range on the feet. He is able to mix it up between kicks and punches to keep his opponent guessing. Pettis will certainly need to keep this on the feet at kicking range and away from the power of Pitbull to get the job done and retain his title.

Why Patricio Pitbull Will Win

Patricio Pitbull is one of the greatest fighters in Bellator's history. He is one of the only double champs in the history of the promotion and he is looking for his third belt in his third division. Pitbull is one of the most well-rounded fighters on the entire roster being able to beat his opponents no matter where it takes place.

He usually likes to keep the fight on the feet where he is able to utilize his speed, movement, and power to overwhelm his opponents. Then if it gets a bit hairy on the feet he has his wrestling and his background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to fall back on if he needs to. Mixing it up against someone like Pettis who likes to stand and trade will serve him well at winning yet another title.

Final Sergio Pettis-Patricio Pitbull Prediction & Pick

This is a fantastic matchup between two of the best fighters that Bellator has on their roster. It will be interesting to see how Pitbull looks cutting to 135 lbs for the first time in his career but if he makes it with no problem he should be too much for Pettis. If people forget Pettis was losing every moment of his title before his Hail Mary spinning back fist knockout which was the first knockout since 2013 for him. Ultimately, Pitbull's ability to mix it up on the feet and on the mat will serve him well in becoming the first-ever three-division champion.

Final Sergio Pettis-Patricio Pitbull Prediction & Pick: Patricio Pitbull (-198)