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Two-time MMA world champion Anthony "Showtime" Pettis has officially jumped ship and became the latest superstar fighter to sign a multi-year deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). The 33-year old American fighter made a career of being a human highlight reel and notched 23 career wins, with 11 coming by way of knockout. Pettis will fight in the 155-pound lightweight division in his PFL MMA debut in 2021.
In addition to his status as one of the pound-for-pound greats in the world of mixed martial arts, the Wisconsin native is also known to be one of the most acrobatic fighters in the world. Equipped with lightning quick speed and unrelenting power, Pettis was responsible for one of the most iconic moments in MMA history when he ran off the cage and threw a flying kick - now known as the Showtime Kick - that connected to his opponent's head en route to claiming his first world championship title. Pettis is also one of the most mainstream fighters in the history of the sport, as evidenced by in 2014 when he became the first MMA fighter to be featured in a Wheaties cereal box.
"I am really looking forward to this next big challenge after signing with the PFL to compete in the lightweight division. I'm super impressed with what the PFL has built, how they are growing the sport and the amazing talent they have added. I've been watching the Brazilian guy (Natan) Schulte who is the champion and he is really good but there isn't anyone I'm scared of," said Pettis. "The season format is great; I think this will be an amazing new journey for me and to get to wrap it up for the course of one year will be amazing. I can't wait to get another world championship to add to my collection." "I am excited to announce that the PFL has signed two-time world champion Anthony Pettis," said PFL MMA CEO Peter Murray. "Not only is Anthony a transcendent athlete in the sport of MMA, but he is also an innovator in the cage who is known for his charismatic fighting style and determination to win. I am confident that Anthony will bring that 'wow' factor into every matchup he participates in over the course of the season format, and we're excited for him to join the PFL family."
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) presents MMA for the first time in the sport-season format where individual fighters control their own destiny, competing in a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship for a million-dollar cash prize. The league's differentiated format and exciting fights have sparked breakout growth for the league with its events being broadcast live in primetime in the United States on ESPN2 and ESPN+ and distributed to 160 different countries around the world on premium sports networks, including TAP EDGE in the Philippines. The PFL's 2021 season will kick off on April 23 with upcoming Regular Season events to be held on April 29, May 6, June 10, June 17 and June 25. For more information and updates on PFL's 2021 season, visit www.pflmma.com and PFL's official social media channels.
