Anthony Pettis on ‘cowardly’ arson attack: ‘I hope the city that I rep has my back’

Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis shared his thoughts on the incident that saw three of his vehicles set on fire outside his home.

Anthony Pettis’ week has not been a good one. The current UFC featherweight and former lightweight champion found himself down three cars on Thursday in an apparent arson attack.

Early reports suggest an assailant ignited two of Pettis’ vehicles using an accelerant, causing the third to catch fire. A witness was quoted as having seen a “car speeding through the neighborhood,” around the same time.

And while the violent act against his property has left Pettis “confused” and “saddened” he and his brother Sergio both released statements on Instagram, stating their resolve to remain in Milwaukee, along with their hopes that the city rallies behind them to catch the person responsible for the fire.

“I am a fighter. I won’t be defeated by this,” Pettis stated on Instagram. “I am also extremely confused and saddened by the events that occurred. I am grateful that no one was harmed by this cowardly act. My life as well as my loved ones were put in danger. I cannot understand why someone would want to hurt myself or my family. I will do everything I can to ensure that we find out who committed this crime and that they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I’m constantly defending my choice to stay in this city. Regardless of the crimes that have been occurring lately, this is my home. I really hope the city that I rep has my back on this one and helps by reporting anything they know about this.”

Sergio, for his part, was even more adamant in his support of his home town and the hope that the people of Milwaukee will support him and his brother:

“The cars might be broke but we will never be broken,” Sergio wrote. “Not sure why or who did this to us very confused on that matter. We truly love Milwaukee and everybody that comes from our city. We all came from the same roots the same daily struggles. It’s an honor representing all of us, it’s more than just fighting for us. We believe martial arts can change lives. We go out there and express ourselves in a different form of art hoping we that we can inspire. We might come from a violent sport but we are peaceful people. So let’s end the violence in our city and come together. The more we rise each other up the more we can all succeed and grow.”

And if you needed a better picture of what a recently torched vehicle looks like:

Anthony is currently getting ready to face top featherweight contender Max Holloway at UFC 206 on December 10th. Hopefully the fallout from these unfortunate events doesn’t prove too large a distraction in preparation for his next bout.