CHICAGO – Raufeon Stots is reasonably sure he’s not going to be in enemy territory Friday in Chicago.
Eleven months ago, Stots took a split decision from Sabatello at Bellator 289 and won the interim bantamweight title. The buildup to their fight was filled with all kinds of heat, and it hasn’t let up – to the point they’re rematching less than a year later, and the winner likely will move into the No. 1 contender spot for the winner of Friday’s co-main event between champ Sergio Pettis and interim champ Patchy Mix, who knocked out Stots in April.
But even though Sabatello hails from the North Side of Chicago and will be fighting at home for the first time in his career, Stots thinks he’s going to have a better response from the “Windy City” fans than his heated and hated rival, who will be looking to rebound from a submission loss to Magomed Magomedov in Japan.
