Anthony Pettis Set to Box Neeraj Goyat in India on January 23
Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will face Indian boxing standout Neeraj Goyat in a six-round bout in India.
Anthony Pettis is heading to India. The former UFC and WEC lightweight champion will face Indian boxing standout Neeraj Goyat in a six-round bout at 154 pounds on January 23, 2027, per Sherdog.
The event, dubbed "Goyat vs. Pettis: The Indian Uprising," is being put together by Most Valuable Promotions and presented by IPBL Boxing. It will be sanctioned by the Indian Boxing Council. Three cities are under consideration for the venue: Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Chennai. A final decision is expected in November.
Goyat, 34, holds a 21-4-2 record with nine knockouts. The former WBC Asia champion joined MVP in 2024 and most recently picked up a unanimous decision win over Whindersson Nunes on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson undercard.
Pettis made his pro boxing debut in April 2023 at Gamebred Boxing 4, where he beat Roy Jones Jr. by majority decision. The fight in India carries a personal angle for Pettis: his younger brother Sergio Pettis lost a unanimous decision to Indian boxer Sabari Jaishankar in Hyderabad back in March 2025.
The undercard, broadcast details, and ticket information have not been announced. MVP described the event as "the biggest card in Indian boxing history."
I respect Pettis for staying active and finding creative ways to compete, but this fight tells you everything about where the crossover boxing game is right now. It is not about the best fighting the best. It is about putting the right name in the right market.
Goyat is a solid regional fighter, not a world-beater. Pettis is a UFC legend who beat Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing ring, which sounds a lot more impressive than it actually was in 2023. But none of that matters. The play here is India, a massive combat sports market that promoters are finally taking seriously.
The personal revenge angle with Sergio's loss in Hyderabad is a nice touch. If Pettis goes over there and gets the win, it makes for a good story. If he does not, well, he is getting paid to box in India in January. There are worse gigs for a retired UFC champ.
