Neeraj Goyat to Face Former UFC Champion Anthony Pettis in India

Former WBC Asia champion Neeraj Goyat will fight former UFC champion Anthony Pettis on Jan. 23 in India. The bout will be Goyat’s first fight in India since 2022.

Goyat is the first Indian boxer ranked by the World Boxing Council. “This time the card is ours. I want to thank MVP and Nakisa Bidarian for believing in me and helping bring this moment to India. Anthony is a real champion and I respect everything he has done, but I have waited my whole career to fight a name like this in front of my own people. I am not giving that night away,” Goyat said.

Anthony Pettis, 39, is a former 155-pound UFC champion who has boxed professionally twice since leaving mixed martial arts. He has not fought in MMA since 2022.

Pettis won an eight-round majority decision against Roy Jones Jr. in April 2023. Goyat enters the bout with a professional record of 21-4 with 9 KOs.

Goyat defeated Brazil’s Whindersson Nunes. That bout took place on the undercard of Jake Paul’s fight against Mike Tyson in Arlington, Texas.

Pettis is a co-promoter of the Indian Fight League and Indian Pro Boxing League. “I have seen what Indian fighters can do, and Neeraj is the best of them,” Pettis said.

Goyat became the first international fighter to join Most Valuable Promotions in 2024. MVP co-founders said, “Now he has the opportunity to headline a historic event in his home country against one of the biggest names in combat sports.”

Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Chennai are under consideration as the host city for the event. An announcement is expected next month.

What are your thoughts on Goyat facing Pettis in India on Jan. 23?