Anthony Pettis – Page 8 – Syndication Server

PFL 2021, Week 1 live and official results

Check out the live and official results from the PFL’s first show of the 2021 season including Anthony Pettis, Lance Palmer, and more.

PFL 2021, Week 1 takes place Friday, and you can join us for live and official results beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN 2 following prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (24-10) battles rising boxing star and former UFC fighter [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (18-8).

The main card also includes 2020 lightweight champion [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (20-3-1) against [autotag]Marcin Held[/autotag] (26-7) and 2020 featherweight champion [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (22-3) against [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (14-4).

Official PFL 2021, Week 1 results include:

MAIN CARD (ESPN 2, 9 p.m. ET)

Clay Collard vs. Anthony Pettis
Marcin Held vs. Natan Schulte
Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Lazar Stojadonovic
Bubba Jenkins vs. Lance Palmer

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes
Joilton Lutterbach vs. Raush Manfio
Akhmet Aliev vs. Mikhail Odintsov
Anthony Dizy vs. Chris Wade
Sung Bin Jo vs. Tyler Diamond
Alex Martinez vs. Loik Radzhabov

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PFL 2021, Week 1 predictions: Who are our three unanimous picks on the main card?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the PFL 2021, Week 1 main card, which includes Anthony Pettis, Natan Schulte and Lance Palmer.

	Pettis vs. Collard	Held vs. Schulte	Khaybulaev vs. Stojadinovic	Jenkins vs. Palmer
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 2021: 46-29	Pettis (78%)	Schulte (66%)	Khaybulaev (80%)	Palmer (82%)
John Morgan @MMAjunkieJohn 2021: 49-26	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 2021: 48-27 2018 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 2021: 47-28	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Simon Samano @SJSamano 2021: 47-28	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 2021: 47-28	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Nolan King @mma_kings 2021: 45-30	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Brian Garcia @thegoze 2021: 45-30 2017 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Dan Tom @DanTomMMA 2021: 44-31 2020 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Matt Erickson @MMAjunkieMatt 2021: 43-32	Pettis	Held	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 2021: 42-33	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Mike Bohn @MikeBohnMMA 2021: 41-34 2014 Champion	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 2021: 39-36	Pettis	Schulte	Khaybulaev	Palmer
BetMGM Betting Favorites	Pettis -600	Schulte -400	Khaybulaev -650	Palmer -350

The PFL returns Friday after missing 2020, and lightweights and featherweights kick off the 2021 season.

PFL 2021, Week 1 takes place at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. The main card airs on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (24-10) makes his PFL debut in a lightweight regular season bout against [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (18-8). Whittaker is a heavy favorite at -600 at BetMGM, and he’s one of three unanimous picks from our 12 editors, writers, videographers and radio hosts.

In the co-feature, two-time PFL lightweight season winner [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] (20-3-1) returns to take on [autotag]Marcin Held[/autotag] (26-7). Schulte is a 4-1 favorite, and only one of our pickers is taking submission specialist Held to pull off the upset.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (15-0-1) will try to stay unbeaten in a featherweight season bout against [autotag]Lazar Stojadinovic[/autotag] (14-7). Khaybulaev is a -650 favorite and another of our unanimous picks.

And to open the main card, two-time featherweight season winner [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag] (22-3) takes on [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (14-4). Palmer is a -350 favorite and our third unanimous pick.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Pettis (78 percent), Schulte (66 percent), Khaybulaev (80 percent) and Palmer (82 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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Ex-UFC champion Anthony Pettis: ‘I definitely have a target on my back’ entering PFL lightweight season

Anthony Pettis knows the spotlight is on him entering PFL’s lightweight season.

[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] thinks he’s the man to beat in the upcoming PFL lightweight season.

The former UFC and WEC champion makes his promotional debut Friday whenn he headlines the PFL’s Week 1 event in Atlantic City, N.J., against Clay Collard. The main card airs on ESPN 2 following prelims on ESPN+.

The 34-year-old Pettis (24-10) knows he’s now among the most notable names on the roster and still one of the most popular fighters at 155 pounds, and thinks that’s made him a mark for the rest of the division.

“Just the resume I have puts a target on my back,” Pettis told reporters at the PFL 2021, Week 1 media day. “These guys know who I am and they have watched me in this sport, so I definitely have a target on my back.”

With the spotlight on him, Pettis recognizes he’s in a dangerous position, but embraces the attention and has fully prepared to stop any opponent from handing him his first defeat in PFL.

“I was the champion in every organization, so I’ve always had a target on my back,” Pettis said. “I know what these guys are looking forward to. The scary part about it is that (Collard has) got nothing to lose. He can just go out there, bite on his mouth piece and go – and that’s what I’m not trying to get caught up in. It’s another fight. These guys, there’s some good talent in this organization, and I have to be sharp and on my game.”

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Pettis has found plenty of past MMA success and remained a top contender in the UFC for years after he lost the lightweight title in 2015.

But despite being close to 40 fights deep in his MMA career, Pettis thinks he can still shape and add to his legacy if he wins PFL’s 2021 lightweight season.

“My legacy is kind of already written, (but) I’m still going,” Pettis said. “I’m 34 years old. This camp was amazing. I felt so good. The structure and the motivation is everything that came along with this. Before, when I was up and coming, I wanted to be remembered as the guy who fought anyone, anywhere, any time while I was fighting at 145, 155 and 170.

“And now I have an opportunity to become a three-organization champion, and that can be done in a year. Im very exited about the opportunity that’s in front of me.”

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Two-time PFL champion Natan Schulte hopes for finals showdown against Anthony Pettis

As Natan Schulte gears up for another PFL season, he already has his eyes on one of the sport’s big names.

As [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] gears up for another PFL season, he already has his eyes on one of the sport’s big names.

Two-time PFL lightweight champion Schulte (20-3), will be entering the 2021 season against some new but certainly familiar faces, which include a few UFC veterans.

Most notable among them is former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] (24-10), whom Schulte hopes to cross paths with, preferably in the $1 million championship fight at the end of the playoffs.

“I want to fight against Anthony Pettis because he’s ex-UFC,” Schulte told MMA Junkie Radio. “He’s a good fighter, a good name, but I can fight with other guys. Maybe a rematch with Loik (Radzhabov) or other guys. (But) I prefer to fight in the finals against Anthony Pettis.”

Schulte’s first test of the 2021 season sees him take on Marcin Held in the co-main event of PFL 2021, Week 1, which takes place April 23. Pettis will take on Clay Collard in the main event.

Although Schulte has taken on some tough-level competition during his eight-fight winning streak, he faces a unique challenge in Held. The Polish fighter is a leg-lock specialist with finishes by heel hook, kneebar and even a toe hold.

Having rolled with him on the mats before, Schulte is familiar with Held and is wary of the threats he brings to the table.

“I know Marcin Held is a tough opponent,” Schulte said. “I trained with him in American Top Team, but it was a little time. He’s a good opponent for my first fight in PFL.

“I prefer to defend the leg locks against Marcin Held, but I can put my pressure, my striking game, in this fight.”

Schulte already has won the PFL title and banked a $1 million prize twice, but the Brazilian grappling ace said his love of the game is what keeps him coming back for more.

“My motivation is fighting because I love to fight,” he said. “I fight because I wake up every day (and) I love training. I love training in jiu-jitsu, wrestling, muay Thai. My motivation is never for money – my motivation is because I love to fight.”

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Anthony Pettis says less sparring will benefit him in PFL’s season format: ‘We can’t risk injuries’

As he embarks on a new chapter in his career, Anthony Pettis has found a successful recipe for his training – fewer hard sparring sessions.

As he embarks on a new chapter in his career, [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] has found a successful recipe for his training.

Pettis (24-10), who will be taking part in PFL’s upcoming 2021 lightweight season, finds himself in a unique position in his career. For the first time, “Showtime” will have his schedule mapped out and already knows which opponents are on his radar.

Through the strenuous nature of the tournament format, Pettis sees perks in his recent effort of reducing sparring, which he expects to pay dividends at this point in his career.

“I’ve been pulling back from sparring lately,” Pettis told MMA Junkie Radio. “My last couple of camps my sparring was very strategic and my opponents were very strategic. I go in there, and I play, and I do my drills, and I work with the lesser guys. I feel like there I get more work in that’s safe, then I do my hard rounds when I need to. So I think with this tournament format we can’t risk injuries, so we’ll definitely be doing a lot of pad work.”

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Pettis will face Clay Collard in the main event of PFL 2021, Week 1, which takes place Friday, April 23 at a venue to be confirmed. The former WEC and UFC lightweight champion will look to add another belt to his collection, something he didn’t necessarily think would be an option for him down the line.

“Nah, not really, but now that you say that, that’s awesome!” Pettis said. “To be able to be champion, and I have the opportunity to do it in one year where I don’t have to work my way up the ladder. I just gotta win these fights, so it’s pretty dope, actually.

“I’ve accomplished a lot in my career. Now it’s the next chapter, the next version of myself and this tournament format is already weird to think about. I’m already thinking about who’s next, but you gotta concentrate on who’s in front of you so it’s gonna be fun this year.”

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Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard to headline PFL 2021 season opener

It’s showtime for the PFL’s 2021 season beginning April 23.

After a full 2020 season hiatus due to COVID-19, the PFL makes its long-awaited return with its first event of the year.

PFL 2021, Week 1 will see the first matchups at featherweight and lightweight, including the promotional debut of former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag].

Pettis (24-10) will feature in the night’s main event against two-sport athlete [autotag]Clay Collard[/autotag] (18-8), while the organization’s lightweight and featherweight champions from 2019, [autotag]Natan Schulte[/autotag] and [autotag]Lance Palmer[/autotag], also are scheduled for action.

Brazilian grappling ace and two-time lightweight champ Schulte (20-3-1) will take on Polish mat specialist [autotag]Marcin Held[/autotag] (26-7) in the co-main event, while two-time featherweight champ Palmer (22-3) will line up against former Brave CF featherweight champ – and former collegiate wrestling rival – [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (14-4) on the main card.

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The main card also will feature a featherweight bout between [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (15-0-1) and undefeated promotional newcomer and former Titan FC featherweight champion [autotag]Jason Soares[/autotag] (14-0).

PFL 1 takes place Friday, April 23 at a venue to be confirmed. The event will air on ESPN2 following prelims on ESPN+. Further regular season events will follow on April 29, May 6, and June 10, 17, and 25.

The full PFL 1 lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (ESPN2, 9 p.m. ET)

Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard
Marcin Held vs. Natan Schulte
Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Jason Soares
Bubba Jenkins vs. Lance Palmer

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET)

Johnny Case vs. Loik Radzhabov
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Joilton Lutterbach
Akhmed Aliev vs. Mikhail Odintsov
Tyler Diamond vs. Jo Sungbin
Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes

Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis signs with PFL

The former UFC and WEC champion will look to add a PFL season title to his mantle and $1 million to his bank account in 2021.

It didn’t take long for [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] to find a new home: “Showtime” is coming to the PFL.

Pettis, the former UFC and WEC lightweight champion, will join the PFL for its 2021 season and will compete at 155 pounds. The PFL announced the news Wednesday shortly after promotional partner ESPN reported it.

Pettis (24-10) fought out his UFC contract this past Saturday with a unanimous decision victory over Alex Morono at UFC Fight Night 183.

Pettis spoke openly about his impending free agency in the lead-up to the fight, and on Tuesday announced his UFC departure. It didn’t take long for Pettis to sign with PFL, the promotion that operates on a system similar to major team sports, with regular-season fights, playoffs, and $1 million to the championship winner in each weight class. Pettis figured to also have a potential suitor in Bellator, as promotion president Scott Coker expressed interest to MMA Junkie on Tuesday night.

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Pettis won the WEC lightweight championship in the promotion’s final event, WEC 53 in December 2010, in which his famous “Showtime kick” of Benson Henderson in the closing seconds sealed the deal on the scorecards in a close fight. In 2013, Pettis submitted Henderson at UFC 164 in his hometown of Milwaukee to claim the UFC lightweight belt, and lost it to Rafael dos Anjos in 2015.

Pettis struggled to regain his stride from there, fighting everywhere from featherweight to welterweight, but he ended his UFC run the winner of two straight.

No date or first opponent has been named for Pettis. The PFL’s 2021 season is scheduled to kick off on April 23 in Las Vegas.

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Scott Coker will ‘definitely’ speak to free agent Anthony Pettis, see if ‘value’ worthwhile for Bellator

Bellator president Scott Coker plans on speaking to newly minted free agent Anthony Pettis.

Bellator president Scott Coker plans on speaking to newly minted free agent [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag].

Pettis (24-10), a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion, completed his UFC contract this past weekend with a unanimous decision win over Alex Morono at UFC Fight Night 183. On Tuesday, “Showtime” announced he was officially testing the market and indicated his UFC tenure is likely to be a thing of the past.

Similar to any notable free agent, Coker intends on exploring the possibility of bringing Pettis into the fold. However, he said certain elements need to be evaluated, from the financial aspect to potential matchups and, most importantly, a judgement on how much Pettis still has to give at age 33 and with nearly 14 years in the game.

“I’m sure my guys are already talking to their camps, and we’ll have a conversation,” Coker told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “Level (of interest) is sometimes based on the business deal because there has to be a certain value there based on the price, and really that’s what it comes down to: Is the value worth what we think of the fights we can put together for him?

“Really it’s like, how much does he have left in the gas tank? But we’ll definitely have that conversation, and we usually have that conversation with every free agent, whether we sign them or not. We’ll probably do the same thing with Pettis if we haven’t already done it.”

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With the ability to fight at both lightweight and welterweight, it seems Pettis could be a serviceable addition to the Bellator roster. His younger brother Sergio Pettis is already signed the promotion and is expected to challenge Juan Archuleta for the bantamweight belt in 2021. Coker said his team will run over the idea of signing the older Pettis and did admit there could be a fight that piques his interest.

When proposed with the possibility of Pettis joining Bellator for a showdown with fellow flashy striker Michael Page, Coker liked the idea. However, he reiterated it’s going to come down to whether everything makes sense for both sides.

“(Pettis vs. ‘MVP’) would be a lot of fun,” Coker said. “That would be amazing. We’ll see. There’s only so many slots on TV for us. We’ll be having 22 to 26 fights (in 2021), and it’ll all be mapped out sometime in the next three weeks and we’ll figure it out. We’ll have a conversation and see where it goes.”

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Anthony Pettis announces UFC departure, free agency exploration: ‘I promise I am not done’

Anthony Pettis has announced his UFC departure – but he’s not done yet.

[autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag] is no longer a UFC fighter.

On Tuesday, Pettis (24-10 MMA), a former UFC lightweight champion, announced he has departed the promotion in favor of free agency exploration.

Pettis, 33, had been with the promotion since the WEC merger at the beginning of 2011. He fought out the final fight on his promotional contract Saturday when he defeated Alex Morono at UFC Fight Night 183.

In a lengthy statement issued on social media, Pettis thanked the fans and UFC staff for their years of help and support in making his dreams come true. Pettis didn’t reveal what his next move is but said he’s not done.

“Almost 12 years with this company and so many amazing memories,” Pettis wrote. “From winning my first world title at 23 years old to becoming the UFC world champion at 26 in my hometown. From being on MTV to the cover of the Wheaties box, I am forever grateful for everything I have experienced and accomplished with this company!!!

“Dana – thank you for everything you have done for me. I was just a kid from the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a big dream. You helped me turn thta dream into a reality. THANK YOU!!!

“Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, Reed Harris, Sean Shelby, Dave Sholler, and Burt Watson, you have helped me and impacted my life and career in countless ways. I will be forever thankful. Everyone at the PI, you helped take my game to the next level! Everyone that works behind the scenes, I am so grateful for your tireless work, especially on the road, you have no idea how much you are appreciated. Thank YOU!!!

“Last and most importantly the UFC fans … thank you!!! You gave me energy in every fight. I hope I have been able to you that ANYTHING is possible. I am excited about my future in this sport. I promise I am not done.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you all,

“Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis”

Thank you @ufc @danawhite 🙏👊🤝 pic.twitter.com/pJtBo2Hpxc

— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) December 23, 2020

Images of Pettis signing paperwork were posted to his Instagram story, though no clarity was provided as to what those papers might be.

Pettis finishes out his UFC tenure with a 10-9 promotional record. He successfully defended his UFC lightweight title once against Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181 in December 2014. In addition to his UFC lightweight title, Pettis captured the WEC lightweight title in December 2010.

Pettis’ brother, Sergio Pettis, departed the UFC in 2019 and signed with Bellator MMA.

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SBC – UFC Champions in 2021

Reaction to Dana White’s video calling out the media, Anthony Pettis’ next move, title changes in 2021 and more were topics on this week’s “Spinning Back Clique” with Simon Head, John Morgan, Mike Bohn and “Gorgeous” George.