According to promotional officials who spoke with MMA Fighting, Pettis will square off against Goyat in a six-round super welterweight contest at the 154-pound limit on January 23. The upcoming event is set to be promoted by IPBL Boxing and officially sanctioned by the Indian Boxing Council. While the exact venue for the fight has not yet been finalized, prospective host cities currently under consideration include Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, and Chennai, with an official venue and logistical announcement anticipated sometime in November.
Pettis steps into this upcoming matchup holding an even 1-1 record in professional boxing. The most notable triumph of his young boxing career came in April 2023, when he put on a disciplined performance to earn a hard-fought majority decision over boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. at Gamebred Boxing 4. However, his subsequent outing in the squared circle did not go as smoothly. Pettis suffered a decision loss to Chris Avila during a major combat sports event featuring prominent star names Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal. That bout against Avila ultimately marked Pettis’ most recent appearance across any combat sports discipline, making this upcoming January return a crucial moment for him to re-establish his momentum.
Beyond the standard competitive goals of any professional athlete, this upcoming bout carries a deeply personal motivation for Pettis. The storyline is heavily tied to his family and his younger brother, Sergio Pettis, who also competed on foreign soil in India back in March 2025. During that outing, Sergio suffered a tough unanimous decision loss to local competitor Sabari Jaishankar. Now, Anthony Pettis hopes to cross international boundaries to avenge that defeat and bring a meaningful victory back home to the Pettis family.
"I have seen what Indian fighters can do, and Neeraj is the best of them," Pettis said when reflecting on the upcoming challenge. "That is who I want. I have thought a lot about Sergio’s loss. This one is for him, and I am coming to win."
On the other side of the ring, Neeraj Goyat will enter the contest riding a formidable wave of momentum, featuring a five-fight winning streak. The highly experienced Goyat, who has amassed an extensive resume with 27 professional boxing fights under his belt, most recently captured widespread international attention and new fans by defeating social media personality turned boxer Whindersson Nunes. That high-profile victory took place on the heavily watched Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight card, thrusting Goyat further into the global spotlight.
For Goyat, the January event represents a rare and monumental opportunity to compete directly in front of his home fans on a major international stage. Throughout the course of his long professional career, the Indian standout has traveled extensively, fighting in countries such as China, Thailand, the United States, and the United Kingdom. In those previous bouts, he was frequently cast in the role of the visiting regional fighter appearing on someone else’s promotional card.
"I have fought in China, in Thailand, in America and in the UK, and every time I was the Indian on somebody else’s card," Goyat remarked regarding the significance of the upcoming event. "This time the card is ours. I want to thank MVP and Nakisa Bidarian for believing in me and helping bring this moment to India. Anthony is a real champion and I respect everything he has done, but I have waited my whole career to fight a name like this in front of my own people. I am not giving that night away."
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) co-founders Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian have also expressed immense excitement about bringing this high-stakes matchup to India. MVP initially signed Goyat with the overarching strategic goal of helping him develop into an internationally recognized and celebrated boxing star. This upcoming fight against a former UFC world champion could well represent a major milestone and a giant leap forward toward achieving that long-term ambition for the fighter and his career trajectory.
In a joint statement, Paul and Bidarian elaborated on their decision to sign Goyat, explaining that they firmly believed he possessed the talent and regional backing necessary to help elevate Indian boxing onto the global stage. They described the upcoming January contest as a historic opportunity for the local athlete to headline an international event in his home country against a widely recognized, high-profile opponent from American combat sports.
The MVP founders also acknowledged Pettis’ legendary accomplishments and storied career in mixed martial arts, while carefully emphasizing that this particular matchup will take place strictly under professional boxing rules. They expressed strong confidence that when the bell rings, Goyat will step up and vividly demonstrate why the promotion placed its faith in his potential from the very beginning of their partnership.
With Pettis eager to step back into the ring to avenge his brother’s previous loss on Indian soil, and Goyat intensely determined to defend his home turf and deliver for his countrymen, the January 23 showdown promises to be a profoundly significant and fiercely contested occasion for both athletes as they write the next chapters of their respective combat sports careers.
