Neeraj Goyat set for biggest boxing test, to face former UFC Champion in India

Neeraj Goyat will meet former UFC champion Anthony Pettis in a six-round contest in India. The home bout offers Goyat a defining test as he takes on the former UFC Champion on home soil.Goyat is set for his biggest fight of his career (Courtesy: MVP)New Delhi,Oct 14, 2026 17:10 ISTIndian boxer Neeraj Goyat is set for a high-profile showdown against former UFC lightweight champion Anthony "Showtime" Pettis on January 23, 2027. The two will meet in a six-round super welterweight contest at 154 pounds, with IPBL Boxing promoting the event and the Indian Boxing Council overseeing its sanctioning. Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Chennai are being considered as potential venues, with the final location expected to be confirmed in November.The 34-year-old Goyat, who hails from Haryana, has spent over a decade building India's presence in professional boxing on the international stage. He became the first Indian boxer to appear in the World Boxing Council rankings and has also held the WBC Asia title.His career reached another milestone in 2024 when he became the first international fighter to join Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), the US-based combat sports promotion established by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian. Later that year, Goyat defeated Brazilian internet personality and boxer Whindersson Nunes on the undercard of Jake Paul's bout against Mike Tyson, an event that drew a live audience of 108 million viewers on Netflix.With Pettis now standing across the ring, Goyat is preparing for what could be the defining fight of his professional career, with the prospect of competing on home soil adding further significance to the occasion. “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. 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,” said Goyat about the fight.Pettis, who hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has enjoyed a distinguished career in mixed martial arts, capturing the WEC lightweight crown in 2010 before becoming UFC lightweight world champion in 2013. On both occasions, he defeated Benson Henderson to claim the title. Having made his professional debut in January 2007, Pettis will step into the ring nearly 20 years after beginning his career. The January 2027 bout will also take place just days before his 40th birthday.Beyond competition, Pettis has taken on an active role in India's combat sports landscape. He serves as a co-promoter of the Indian Fight League (IFL), the country's MMA league, and the Indian Pro Boxing League (IPBL), contributing to efforts to expand the sport's reach over the past two years.The upcoming trip also carries a personal dimension for the American. His younger brother, Sergio Pettis, a former Bellator bantamweight world champion, competed in Hyderabad at Road to IPBL 2 in March 2025. Sergio suffered a unanimous decision defeat against India's Sabari Jaishankar, giving Anthony an added reason to return to the country and seek redemption for the family."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 Sergio’s loss. This one is for him, and I am coming to win," said Pettis.The Goyat-Pettis showdown is expected to headline what is being billed as the biggest event in Indian boxing history, bringing an international spectacle to the country. The card will also feature several of India's leading professional boxers, including Rohtak's Akshay Chahal, Kolkata's Faizan Anwar, Hyderabad's Pavan Kalyan, Dehradun's Ritesh Singh and Mizoram's Laldinsanga Ramlawt, alongside other prominent names from the domestic boxing circuit.- Ends