Anthony Pettis left the UFC in 2020 (Getty)
Anthony Pettis ended his time with the UFC and is now looking at his options in the free agency, which could include Bellator or the PFL
It was the end of an era after the final UFC event of the year as Anthony Pettis said his farewell to the promotion.
Pettis was one of the pioneers of the modern UFC era and was a former UFC Lightweight champion. He had some of the biggest moments during the early years of the UFC and Showtime knew how to keep the fans on their feet.
However, the 33-year-old ended up losing to some rising stars such as Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier and a few others.
These were now the bigger names in the and it seemed Pettis was set up to help Alex Morono shine at UFC Vegas 17.
However, Showtime proved he had a lot of gas in the tank and shocked everyone by beating Morono via unanimous decision.
This was the last fight on his contract and Pettis didn’t waste time. He confirmed he was leaving the promotion and thanked Dana White and the UFC for all that they had given him over the years.
Showtime thanked the owners of the promotion and shared his journey too before ending the note and thanking the fans.
However, he did leave his future in doubt as to where he was heading:
There aren’t many outlets where a big name like Pettis could head off and play his trade. Two promotions that have been spoken about are Bellator and PFL.
Ariel Helwani and Daniel Cormier brought it up and the pair were split over Pettis could end up.
Bellator has been a hit in recent months and they have signed many former UFC stars. Anthony Johnson and Yoel Romero are two names who have recently joined and Pettis’ brother, Sergio, also fights for the promotion.
PFL is also a decent enough option given that they have been rising up in recent years. However, 2020 was a tough year for them and they had to cancel several events due to Covid-19.
Signing Pettis wouldn’t be cheap also and one promotion that could be ruled out too. ONE Championship might have the financial flex to sign Pettis but most of their shows are in the Asian continent.
Travel could be a problem for Pettis, especially with his decision to start his own management company.
That could play a huge role in all this. Pettis wants to help rising MMA stars and staying in and around North America would make the most sense for him.
Bellator seems to be the best option, for now, but nothing is set in stone yet. Pettis still has some quality years left in him and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.
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