Anthony Pettis Signs With The PFL, To Compete At Lightweight

Anthony Pettis

It didn’t take Anthony Pettis long to find a new home.

The former lightweight champion made headlines when he announced Tuesday that he was parting ways with the UFC to explore free agency.

Many expected Bellator MMA to swoop in for him especially seeing as his brother Sergio Pettis was recently signed by the promotion.

However, Pettis has opted to sign a deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) who confirmed the news on social media on Wednesday.

https://twitter.com/ProFightLeague/status/1341850057654607877?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1341850057654607877%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sherdog.com%2Fnews%2Fnews%2FAnthony-Pettis-Signs-with-Professional-Fighters-League-Plans-to-Compete-at-Lightweight-176935

Pettis will join the PFL for its 2021 season which kicks off April 23 and will be competing at 155 pounds again. No date or first opponent has been named for “Showtime” as of yet.

READ MORE:  Sean O'Malley confident fight with Ryan Garcia will be set after two more UFC outings: 'I'm not there yet'

He is the latest big name to join the PFL’s ranks after the recent signings of Rory MacDonald, Fabricio Werdum and Claressa Shields. In Pettis, the PFL has a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion who is one of the household names in mixed martial arts.

Things have been a bit rocky for Pettis ever since losing his lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos in 2015 as he never went on a winning streak until this past weekend when he outpointed Alex Morono.

However, he is still a top-level fighter who is capable of getting finishes as we saw against Michael Chiesa and Stephen Thompson.

READ MORE:  Conor McGregor backed as 'Super sharp' ahead of return fight at UFC 303: 'I'd be surprised if we see two rounds'

With his addition to the ranks, the upcoming PFL season promises to be more exciting than ever.

What do you think of Pettis joining the PFL?