Sergio Pettis was able to get the better of Brandon Moreno over the course of five rounds tonight at UFC Fight Night 114 in Mexico City.
Round One:
The main event is underway in Mexico City!
Moreno misses with his first leg kick attempt. Another one lands though. Moreno catches a kick and nicely takes Pettis to the mat in the opening minutes.
Moreno in Pettis’ full guard for now. Pettis locking him down for now. Moreno trying to free his arms and finally does so. he looks to pass and Pettis gets to his knees, turtled up.
Moreno takes Pettis’ back and this is dangerous times for his opponent. Moreno has the body triangle locked in, but for now Pettis is defending the inevitable rear-naked choke that he knows is coming.
Two minutes of the round remaining. Pettis tries to scramble away, but Moreno is locked onto him tight and maintains his dominant position.
Moreno getting closer to sinking in a choke, but still not quite there as Pettis continues to defend until the round ends.
Round Two:
Pettis times a nice push kick to the body and knocks Moreno off-balance to the mat for a brief moment.
They reset and Pettis attempts a side kick that just misses. Winging left hook from Moreno doesn’t find a home.
Pettis trying to stalk Moreno down and lands a leg kick. Head kick attempt from Moreno is blocked and Pettis counters with a body kick.
Pettis knocks Moreno off-balance, but doesn’t follow him to the mat. Back up he gets. Pettis with a head kick. Now another one, but then Moreno gets Pettis to the mat.
Pettis threatening with a triangle choke, then an omaplata, but Moreno scrambles out and Pettis gets back to his feet neatly.
Wheel kick attempt from Pettis. leg kick for Moreno. Front kick to the body for Pettis. Now going upstairs with the kick.
Pettis with a solid leg kick. Side kick to the body from Pettis as Moreno moves on the outside. Leg kick lands.
Clipping left hook for Moreno. Now a low kick for him. Body punch for the Mexican. Head movement gets Moreno out of the way as Pettis tries to launch punches.
Jumping knee from Pettis doesn’t really pay off as the round comes to a close.
Round Three:
Both men exchange a punch apiece and then Pettis tries to go upstairs with a head kick attempt. Left hand lands for Pettis.
Leg kick for Pettis and Moreno counters with a left hand. Kick for Pettis. Now another low. Body kick for Moreno.
Superman punch for Pettis. Body kick for Moreno, but it’s caught and Pettis puts him down and threatened with another kick as he did so.
Pettis not willing to go to the mat with Moreno though, so he makes him stand. Pettis back to stalking and lands a punch. Moreno bursts forward looking for a takedown, but he’s trying to force it too much and stumbles to the mat.
Back up. Pettis pouring on the offense now and he’s starting to hurt Moreno. Crisp jab snaps his opponent’s head back. Takedown attempt from Moreno is stuffed.
leg kick for Moreno. Two grazing right hands from Pettis. Pettis continuing to apply pressure and lands a low leg kick.
Another takedown attempt for Moreno fails. Moreno just misses with an overhand. Two piece combo for Moreno. Pettis snaps out the jab.
solid right hand for Pettis. Pettis catches a kick and then lands a body kick of his own in response. Body kick for Moreno. Kick upstairs from Pettis. That opened up a cut to Moreno’s right eye.
Both men still looking to exchange as the round ends.
Round Four:
Moreno feeling out with the jab and Pettis tries for the head kick. Moreno pressing forward and misses with a left hook.
Body kick for Moreno. Now a couple of left hooks from Moreno. Eye poke from Pettis forces a stoppage, but he’s ok to continue.
Pettis tries for a head kick, but it’s blocked. They look to exchange in close, but only a right hand from Pettis lands.
Moreno with a left hook. Straight right for Pettis. Side kick to the body from Pettis. Body kick for Moreno. Low kick for Pettis.
Jab lands from Pettis. Counter right for Pettis now. leg kick from Moreno. overhand attempt from Moreno. Winging hook now that he loses his balance from.
Left hand for Moreno and now a solid right that lands clean. Left hook for Moreno as he tries to swarm in. Spinning head kick from Pettis just wings over the ducking Moreno’s head.
Final 30 seconds of the round. Pettis with a head kick attempt that’s blocked. Pettis comes up short with a series of punches. Cartwheel kick attempt from Pettis doesn’t really pay off and enables Moreno to get on top on the mat in the final few seconds of the round.
Round Five:
Moreno misses with an overhand and Pettis counters with a punch of his own. Jab for Pettis. Moreno in on a takedown and he lands it. Big moment for him.
Moreno in Pettis’ full guard here and like in the first round, Pettis is locking his arms down as best he can to stifle his opponent.
Moreno with light hammerfists. Pettis continues to stifle Moreno’s opportunities to be offensive. Moreno postures up and eats a couple of upkicks.
Moreno scrambling, but still in Pettis’ guard. Again a threatening upkick from Pettis. Pettis with butterfly hooks now close to the cage.
Pettis close to the cage and gets his back to it and tries to stand. Moreno keeps him down though and is trying to take his opponents back.
However, Pettis manages to dump him off his back and gets back to striking range with just over a minute remaining.
Body kick for Pettis. wild left hook from Moreno. Pettis thinking about a takedown, but bails on it. Pettis with a side kick to the body. Pettis ends the round landing a few punches.
Moreno got the better of Pettis in the opening round, but after that it was Pettis who started to pressure more on the feet and limit his opponent’s takedown attempts, enabling him to get the better of several rounds, which would help lead him to a unanimous decision victory (49-46, 48-46 x2).
