McKee Beats Pettis by Unanimous Decision
Mitch McKee defeated Sergio Pettis by unanimous decision on April 11, 2026, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. All three judges scored the bantamweight main event 29–28, giving the unbeaten newcomer a major victory in his first PFL appearance.
The matchup and early action
Pettis entered as a former Bellator bantamweight champion with twenty-five professional wins. His previous appearance had produced a spinning-back-elbow knockout of Magomed Magomedov, restoring momentum before this meeting with a younger challenger.
McKee brought a 10–0 record and a strong collegiate wrestling background from the University of Minnesota. He had competed under the LFA banner before accepting an immediate PFL headlining assignment.
The decisive developments
The newcomer used his wrestling to restrict Pettis’s offense and create submission threats. Pettis remained in the contest and completed all three rounds, but could not prevent McKee from establishing the positions that shaped the decision.
The matching 29–28 cards showed unanimous agreement on the winner without suggesting a complete shutout. McKee improved to 11–0, while Pettis’s professional record became 25–8.
What the result meant
The result was a contender victory rather than a championship change. The bantamweight belt was vacant, making performances against established divisional names particularly consequential for future title opportunities.
Renat Khavalov also defeated Raufeon Stots on the card, giving Chicago two unbeaten bantamweight winners against former Bellator champions. McKee’s debut therefore arrived amid significant movement near the top of the division.
Sources
- PFL press release: Chicago results
- PFL: official weigh-in results
- Sherdog: McKee and Pettis career context
- Cageside Press: championship context
