Sergio Pettis, Bellator’s new bantamweight champion, beats former champion Juan Archuleta

Sergio Pettis accomplished the goal he set out to accomplish when he signed with Bellator MMA and has become the promotion’s 135-pound monarch with a clear victory over Juan Archuleta at Bellator 258.

The show held at the Mohagan Sun arena in Uncasville, Connecticut did not disappoint, with spectacular finishes and a very technical duel within the main event.

Sergio, Anthony’s younger brother, won his first world title in the promotion that opened doors for him as soon as he hit free agency. At both 125 and 135 pounds he has proven to be a complete fighter, with consistent striking and good takedown defense.

And that was the key to the night, he was consistent connecting with both hands and suddenly surprising with kicks upstairs, but every time Archuleta looked to take him down he was met with a guillotine or any other threat, to make it clear that it wasn’t going to be easy to take him to the canvas.

‘El Español’ was losing his characteristic mobility, so he could not draw a single round with clarity and so reflected the cards with a 50-45, and two 49-46 in favor of the fighter of Puerto Rican and Mexican origin.

He was accompanied in the corner by his older brother, who is coming off a loss in his arrival in the PFL, but with an imposing pedigree, WEC and UFC champion, in addition to the ‘showtime’ kick he connected to Benson Henderson, which all MMA fans remember.

For Sergio, 27, it was important to get a championship like his brother’s: “It feels great, he always believes in me and pushes me to believe I’m the best. I knew my punches were cleaner and I connected better, he brought the storm, but I was better all night,” he confessed at the end of the fight.

In the co-main event, Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson made his debut in the semi-complete weight tournament against the emerging Brazilian José Augusto Azevedo, who came to fight.

The first round of the bout was full of drama, with the Brazilian hurting his right hand early on and absorbing a clean uppercut from the veteran Johnson, who seemed to have the fight under control.

Until Azevedo responded with the same punch and sent ‘Rumble’ to the canvas, who hung on to survive those first five minutes.

It was so rough that he didn’t remember it at the end of the fight. “Wow, that’s the first time I’ve ever been hurt like that,” he said in surprise after watching the replay of his fall in the interview afterward.

In the minute’s rest he recovered and sharpened the weapons that have led him to be recognized as one of the most dangerous in the world of MMA, where he has competed in four divisions. The result was wild, they went back to the exchange and now an overhand right hook over the shoulder finished the opponent at 1:30 of the second episode.

As if he hadn’t been four years without a fight and now he advanced to the Grand Prix semifinal where he will face the champion, the dangerous Vadim Nemkov, undefeated since his arrival in Bellator.

“It’s going to be a great fight, he has the complete package, he can submit, beat you with punches,” advanced ‘Rumble’.

Cuban Yoel Romero was designated as tonight’s opponent for the American, but pre-fight medical exams were not favorable and his Bellator debut has been postponed.

In one of the most shocking images of the night, the always spectacular Michael ‘Venom’ Page extended his winning streak to five with a direct kick to the nose of his opponent Derek Anderson, which came at the end of the episode, but with a grotesque fracture that would not allow him to continue by medical decision.

Moments later, the commission would have to make a similar decision against Patriky Freire, as the younger ‘Pitbull’ presented a shocking cut on his head after elbows from Peter Queally, who took advantage of the bottom position to deliver 90-degree elbows to his opponent, which are illegal only when the fighters are standing and not at the height of the canvas.

Bellator MMA returns May 21 with champion Cristianne ‘Cyborg’ Justino defending her title against former UFC opponent Leslie Smith.