LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) announced this morning that it has signed highly touted Duke Roufus kickboxing protégé turned undefeated bantamweight MMA fighter Sergio Pettis to a 5-fight deal. Pettis is the 18-year-old younger brother of former WEC lightweight champion and current UFC star Anthony Pettis.
Pettis shared his thoughts on the deal by stating, "I am excited to fight for RFA. It’s a great promotion with a lot of really talented fighters. I look forward to the competition and showing the RFA fans what I can do."
This deal marks the next big step in the evolution of the younger Pettis sibling, who has been pegged from Day One as a prodigious talent and referred to as "The Phenom". This has a lot to do with his famous older brother being one of the most exciting fighters in the sport, but it has more to do with his own natural talents that are being cultivated by his trainer, four-time world kickboxing champion Duke Roufus. Pettis trains under Roufus at his gym Roufusport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Sergio began sparring with his brother Anthony, who is 6 1/2 years older, at an early age. Then in August 2009, just three days before his 16th birthday, the younger Pettis had his first amateur MMA fight. The still 15-year-old Pettis would defeat a 20-year-old Jordan Winski by TKO in just 55 seconds. This marked the birth of "The Phenom", which is the same nickname used to describe UFC legend Vitor Belfort, who earned the nickname after becoming the youngest fighter (age 19) to record a victory in the UFC.
In 2010, the following year, Pettis would take three more amateur fights. He would win all three of those fights and decided to go pro the following year, just 3 weeks after his 18th birthday. His pro debut was against Kyle Vivian at Canadian Fighting Championship 7 in September 2011. Pettis won the bout via Head Kick at 1:46 of Round 1.
Two months later, Pettis would win again by Head Kick in his second pro bout. This immediately caught the attention of many and gave others a major case of déjà vu, since Head Kicks are the same devastating techniques that his brother Anthony lands with brutal effectiveness.
Pettis started 2012 by riding the momentum and attention he had gained from the two Head Kick knock outs that he recorded in his first two pro bouts. He would use that widespread acclaim to show the world that he is also very adept on the ground, just like his older brother. Pettis submitted two of the three opponents that he has faced this year. If MMA gave out report cards, Pettis would have passed his 2012 midterm with flying colors.
In his most recent fight, which took place last month at Legends of Fighting Championship 53 – Memoriam, Pettis fought Tom McKenna who was riding a 5-fight win streak. Pettis was actually a replacement for his teammate Chico Camus, who had just signed a UFC contract. Pettis would win the bout via Guillotine Choke at 3:52 of Round 1.
Pettis is now looking to up the quality of his opponents heading into the second half of 2012. He will certainly get that opportunity now that he has inked a 5-fight deal with the RFA. Undefeated jiu-jitsu black belt Chris Holdsworth and undefeated NCAA Division I wrestler Tyler Shinn are now joined by the undefeated flashy kickboxing stalwart Sergio Pettis inside the RFA’s talent-rich shark tank of a bantamweight division. Pettis is expected to make his RFA debut early this fall when the RFA is expected to host its first show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) was founded in 2011 and includes a number of prominent businessmen, fight promoters, matchmakers, and others with successful careers in hosting Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) shows across the United States. To learn more, check out their website at www.RFAfighting.com.