PFL 6: Anthony Pettis warns he’ll be ‘different fighter’ vs Raush Manfio, ‘thinking of nothing else’ but title
- ‘Showtime’ insists he’ll be ‘a lot more basic, lot more clean’ after losing promotional debut, but only a stoppage win will do on Friday night
- ‘I just had a daughter and I left her at home to be here. This is the sacrifice I make to be the champ,’ Pettis says
Anthony Pettis is hell-bent on adding another world title to his collection, and there will be little margin for error when he faces Brazil’s Raush Manfio at PFL 6 on Friday night.
There aren’t many fighters who know more about belt collecting than “Showtime” – by the time he was 26, the Milwaukee native had already worn the lightweight strap in the WEC and UFC.
But after swapping the Octagon for the SmartCage ahead of the Professional Fighters League’s 2021 season, 34-year-old Pettis (24-11) dropped a unanimous decision against Clay Collard on his promotional debut in April.
Given the PFL’s unique regular season format, where bonus points are awarded for a stoppage, Pettis will be eliminated before the divisional play-offs if he can’t put Manfio (12-3) away.
“I’m actually excited about the opportunity. The season, the play-offs and everything that comes along with it,” Pettis told SCMP MMA. “My fighting style always looks for the finish. That’s what I do. I make it entertaining, I keep it fun.”
