UFC Fight Night 42 Date: June 7, 2014 Arena: Tingley Coliseum City: Albuquerque, NM Lightweight bout: Sergio Pettis (-500) vs Yaotzin Meza (+400) Fight Breakdown: The FOX Sports 1 preliminary card for UFC Fight Night 42 will feature a bantamweight scrap between Roufosport’s Sergio Pettis and The MMA Lab’s Yaotzin Meza, with Pettis being the betting favorite at -500 ($500 to win $100) and Meza being the underdog at +400 ($100 to win $400) at Several Bookmakerss. Sergio Pettis (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is coming off a third round submission loss at the hands of Alex “Bruce Leeroy” Caceres at UFC on FOX 10 just over four months ago. “The Phenom” is a talented striker with exceptional kickboxing and Tae Kwon Do skills. He works hard leg kicks, and loves going for the high kick. Much like his brother, UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis, Sergio has a wide range of kicks in his arsenal; including some beautiful spinning attacks, like his spinning heel kick and spinning roundhouse kick. Also like his brother, Pettis likes to improvise on the feet and often displays flashy maneuvers. He has good footwork, but does not always use it. He cuts the cage off really well, being very good at slicing angles and pressuring his opponents. He does not have good head movement, but he is fast and does possess a solid chin. “The Phenom” has a nice uppercut, and works some great combinations, including a solid 1-2, which he used to knock-out Dillard Pegg at RFA 8. He is a good counter-striker, but he has trouble getting on the inside of opponents who have a reach advantage over him. The 20-year-old’s takedown defense is not very good, but he is very comfortable off his back. He has an excellent guard, and remains very active from the bottom position. He makes great transitions on the mat and has an excellent submission game. Training out of Roufusport in Milwaukee, WI, under the tutelage of Duke Roufus, Pettis is a well-conditioned athlete who does not cut much weight to make the bantamweight limit, and I expect him to be prepared for a hard three rounds against Meza, should the fight go the distance. Yaotzin Meza (20-9 MMA, 1-2 UFC) is set to make his fourth appearance inside the Octagon, coming off a unanimous decision loss to Chico Camus at UFC on FOX 10 nearly four months ago. He trains out of The MMA Lab in Glendale, AZ with notable training partners Benson Henderson, Efrain Escudero, and the only man to defeat Sergio Pettis, Alex Caceres. For this camp, Meza moved his training camp to Flagstaff, AZ for high-altitude training, because the fight against Pettis is in Albuquerque, NM, which is also at high-altitude, so he does not want to risk gassing. He has four other team members on the card, and they all traveled to Flagstaff with Meza to prepare for their bouts. The 33-year old started off as a wrestler in high school and is still at said high school, only now he’s the coach. Meza has a suspect chin and he is not specifically excellent in any aspect of mixed martial arts, though he is well-rounded, has a great heart and solid conditioning. I expect him to have enough in the tank for a full 15-minutes at high-altitude, should the fight hit the judges’ scorecards. Gabe’s Prediction: Pettis is by far the superior mixed martial artist in this match-up, and I believe he will completely blow Meza out of the water. I expect him to tool Meza around a bit and then stop him, but if there is no stoppage, I see it being a clear-cut 30-27 for Pettis. That said, I do think he gets this done inside the distance. In my opinion, making it three rounds against Pettis would be a victory in itself for Meza, and I don’t think that’s happening. Gabe’s Call: “The Phenom” by KO (body kick, 3:48, round 1) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Sergio Pettis (-500) parlayed with John Dodson (-500) for -228 7.5u to win 3.3u
