Sergio Pettis moves up to bantamweight, fights Rob Font at UFC on FOX 31

Sergio Pettis is not wasting any time.

Less than 72 hours after Pettis’ coach Duke Roufus announced on The MMA Hour that his protege would be moving back up to 135 pounds, the young fighter is now slated to meet Rob Font in a bantamweight fight at UFC on FOX 31 in Milwaukee on Dec. 15, according to UFC.com.

Pettis (17-4) dropped a decision against Jussier Formiga at UFC 229, suffering his third loss since cutting down to flyweight. Pettis changed divisions after back-to-back decision wins over Yaotzin Meza and Matt Hobar in 2014, and was stopped by Ryan Benoit in his 125-pound debut. After that, “The Phenom” won four in a row before losing to future champion Henry Cejudo last December.

”I think that Sergio is so much stronger 35er,” Roufus said Monday. “Sergio debuted at 145, and I’m seeing so many guys depleting their strength, their hunger. I think the weight cut is harder for some of these kids than the fights are.”

Font (15-4) is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Raphael Assuncao in July, dropping to 5-3 in the UFC. The bantamweight talent called out Pettis back in 2014, asking for a fight with “The Phenom” following his Octagon debut at UFC 175, when he finished George Roop in the first round.

UFC on FOX 31 takes place at the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center in Milwaukee and features Kevin Lee vs. Al Iaquinta in a five-round lightweight the main event.