Sergio Pettis says now is his time to become a champion.

After a stint with many ups and downs in the UFC, Sergio Pettis (20-5) has made his mark at Bellator MMA. With a solid performance against Ricky Bandejas (13-4) in the headliner of Bellator 242 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Pettis earned his status as the No.1 contender for the bantamweight title.

The Milwaukee native would like to follow the path of his brother Anthony Pettis, who captured the lightweight title at both the UFC and WEC.

“Man my brother’s got a lot of belts and I feel like I have to join him now,” said Pettis. “So it would be awesome to get that belt in a new organization like Bellator. I’m very excited for this opportunity, and very motivated.”

Pettis controlled most of the bout with his range, tagging Bandejas with low kicks and straight right hands. All three judges scored the bout (30-27) in favor of Pettis, earning him the unanimous decision victory.

With a title bout between Juan Archuleta and Patrick Mix being rebooked, Pettis is likely to face the winner for the belt. The original Bellator main event was called off after Archuleta contracted COVID-19, forcing him to withdraw from the bout.

“I wanna get a belt, that’s the overall goal,” said Pettis. “And I made my way there quick. I belong here, and I’ma show the next two guys that I belong for that belt as well. It’s my time.”