Anthony Pettis Is Back To Enjoying Process Of Fighting Following PFL 3

Anthony Pettis had a smile on his face for the entirety of PFL 3 fight week in Arlington, TX. Through Media Day, to the weigh-ins, and more. After appearing to be in the best state mentally and emotionally in a long time, Pettis put it all together with a first-round submission of Myles Price on…

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Anthony Pettis had a smile on his face for the entirety of PFL 3 fight week in Arlington, TX. Through Media Day, to the weigh-ins, and more.

After appearing to be in the best state mentally and emotionally in a long time, Pettis put it all together with a first-round submission of Myles Price on Friday night.

Pettis secured his first submission win since 2018 when he finished Michael Chiesa at UFC 226. He’s looking for a season of vengeance in 2022 after falling short in his debut PFL season last year.

Just minutes after his first PFL victory, Pettis spoke about how he embraced the moment as he made his walk to the cage to begin his revenge tour.

“Seeing those fans out there, I almost wanted to cry,” Pettis told MMA News during his PFL post-fight press conference. “The emotion of having that energy again, I haven’t felt that in a long time. The emotion of the fans there. That’s what I feed off of, my name is ‘Showtime’ for a reason. Fans are there, the lights are on, I turn into ‘Showtime’.”

Pettis fell well short of expectations in 2021, suffering losses to Clay Collard and Raush Manfio. After being dubbed by many as the favorite to win the PFL lightweight title, he failed to make the playoffs and saw an early exit from the beginning of his PFL tenure.

Pettis signed with the PFL last year following title runs in the WEC and UFC. He was one of the biggest stars in the UFC during his lightweight title reign, which began with a win over Benson Henderson at UFC 164.

When Pettis is in the right mindset, he remains one of the most dangerous competitors in the sport. After earning six points and taking the early lead in the PFL lightweight standings, he’ll look to bring plenty of encores for ‘Showtime’ going forward.

What were your thoughts on Anthony Pettis’ performance at PFL 3?

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Kayla Harrison On Cris Cyborg Bout: The Ball’s In Her Court

Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison is focused on a third league title and not a potential crossover superfight against Cris Cyborg. Harrison earned a unanimous decision victory over Marina Mokhnatkina at PFL 3 in Arlington, TX on Friday night. Many fans and pundits expected her to make quick work of Mokhnatkina, who proved to be…

Continue Reading Kayla Harrison On Cris Cyborg Bout: The Ball’s In Her Court at MMA News.

Two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison is focused on a third league title and not a potential crossover superfight against Cris Cyborg.

Harrison earned a unanimous decision victory over Marina Mokhnatkina at PFL 3 in Arlington, TX on Friday night. Many fans and pundits expected her to make quick work of Mokhnatkina, who proved to be a tougher test than most anticipated.

Harrison’s first win of 2022 was the culmination of weeks and months of speculation during her widely-publicized free agency. A major talking point was a potential fight against Cyborg in either Bellator or a cross-promotional bout.

During her PFL 3 post-fight press conference, Harrison put Cyborg in the rear-view mirror as she moves ahead in the 2022 season.

“On to the next fight,” Harrison told MMA News and other media outlets. “My focus isn’t on Cyborg right now. Obviously, a season with four fights in four and a half months is grueling, it’s a grind. I see a lot of areas where I need to keep getting better, so my focus is on me. Not on Cyborg. I’m tired of talking about her, tired of thinking about her. Now she’s going to be a free agent, the ball’s in her court. If she wants this fight, she knows where I’m at.”

Despite hinting that she feels a fight with Cyborg is inevitable, Harrison seems to be re-focused on the next chapter of her PFL tenure. She re-signed with the league earlier this year after the PFL matched an offer from Bellator.

Harrison had also been linked to a potential fight against Amanda Nunes before Nunes lost her UFC bantamweight title to Julianna Peña.

An interesting element of the discussion is the PFL’s new pay-per-view division that is scheduled to launch next year. Harrison will surely be a big factor in the division’s launch, and a fight with Cyborg could be in the works to kick things off.

Do you think Kayla Harrison could beat Cris Cyborg?

Continue Reading Kayla Harrison On Cris Cyborg Bout: The Ball’s In Her Court at MMA News.