Neeraj Goyat faces former UFC champion Anthony Pettis in a boxing match on January 23 in India. The contest is scheduled for six rounds at super welterweight.
- India’s 34-year-old Goyat (21-4-2, 9 KOs) comes off a points victory over Yessin Koulali on the Mayer vs Cameron undercard in August, marking his second win of the year.
- Milwaukee’s 39-year-old Pettis (boxing 1-1, MMA 25-14) hasn’t fought since losing a unanimous decision to Chris Avila in July 2024.
The venue, ticket and broadcast information is expected to be announced shortly.
What they’re saying
“I have fought in China, in Thailand, in America and in the UK, and every time I was the Indian on somebody else’s card. This time the card is ours,” Goyat said.
“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.”
Pettis said, “I have seen what Indian fighters can do, and Neeraj is the best of them. That is who I want.”
“I have thought a lot about [brother] Sergio’s loss [to Sabari Jaishankar in March 2025 in Hyderabad, India]. This one is for him, and I am coming to win.”
- The undercard is scheduled to feature India’s lightweight Akshay Chahal (20-1-1, 12 KOs), welterweights Faizan Anwar (21-0, 9 KOs) and K Pavan Kalyan (9-0, 6 KOs), light heavyweight Ritesh Singh (8-0, 4 KOs), and bantamweight Laldinsanga Laldinsanga (14-0, 8 KOs).