PFL News: Anthony Pettis In Make-Or-Break Situation, Needs Finish To Keep Hopes Alive

Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis returns to action in the main event of PFL 4 this coming Thursday, June 10th inside the PFL bubble at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

He takes on Alexander Martinez in a crucial lightweight contest.

PFL 4 kicks off the second half of what has already been an exciting 2021 regular season.

Pettis was also the headliner for the league’s 2021 season opener back in April.

This time around, however, Pettis is coming in with a sense of urgency.

That’s because “Showtime” will likely need to get an impressive finish if he wants to advance to the 2021 PFL playoffs.

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Pettis came up short in his promotional debut at PFL 1, losing to Clay Collard by split decision.

He himself admitted that the pressure of the PFL debut and being labeled as the favorite may have gotten to him.

“My last performance, I wasn’t happy with what I did out there. I think I let the pressure get to me,” Pettis said in an interview with Heavy.com.

The loss in the PFL’s tournament-style sports season format barred Pettis from earning any points in the standings.

At the end of PFL 4, only the Top Four lightweights will advance into the playoffs and move closer to capturing the PFL lightweight championship and a shot at the million-dollar grand prize.

Currently, Pettis is at the bottom end of the standings with 0 points.

All that could change come Thursday night.

If Pettis can win decisively, he puts himself in a better spot in cracking the Top Four of the lightweight division.

A win will give Pettis three points to his name, and a finish will earn him corresponding bonus points.

Simply put, a first-round stoppage--which will give Pettis six points--will be his best chance at advancing into the PFL post-season.

This is precisely what he plans on doing.

“My objective is to get six points, and hopefully put myself in that tournament,” Pettis stated.

Fortunately for Pettis and for fight fans across the globe, there’s a reason why the Wisconsin-native is known as "Showtime."

Pettis has earned a reputation for being an exciting fighter, and 18 of his 24 professional victories have come by stoppage (11 via KO, seven by submission).

Playing even more into his favor is that 11 of his finishes have come in the first round, including a three-fight streak of opening-salvo finishes in the UFC.

But all that begins with the basics, and Pettis plans on keeping things simple at PFL 4.

“I just keep forgetting, most of the big moments in MMA, when it happened, I built it up with basics. That ‘Showtime’ kick happened in the fifth round of a title fight, not the first two minutes. I didn’t look for it until I had won the basics,” he shared.

“That’s what I’m going to attach to this fight. I’m going to go in there, win the basics and build up,” Pettis added.

With the deck stacked against him, Pettis has an uphill battle ahead of him at PFL 4.

If anyone can pull it off, it’s the former UFC and WEC lightweight titleholder.