Neeraj Goyat to fight Anthony Pettis in India on January 23, 2027; host city to be named in November

Indian professional boxer Neeraj Goyat and former UFC lightweight world champion Anthony Pettis will face each other in the ring on January 23, 2027. The bout has been named "Goyat vs Pettis: The Indian Uprising". It is a six-round fight in the super welterweight category and will be held in India.

Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Chennai are competing to host the historic bout. The final city and the venue will be announced in November.

Goyat is associated with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) and is an Indian boxer who has made a name internationally. The 34-year-old, who hails from Haryana, has over the past ten years tried to take Indian professional boxing to the world stage. He is the first Indian boxer to earn a World Boxing Council (WBC) ranking, and had earlier won the WBC Asia title.

Goyat became the first international fighter to sign with MVP in 2024. The same year, he defeated Brazil's Whindersson Nunes on the card headlined by Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. He will now get the chance to take on a big international name in India itself.

Speaking about the upcoming bout, Goyat said he has fought in China, Thailand, the United States and Britain, but each time he went in as an Indian fighter on another promoter's card. He expressed happiness that he now gets the chance to fight a big bout in front of his home crowd.

Goyat described Pettis as an experienced and renowned fighter and expressed respect for his career. He also made it clear that he had long been waiting to take on such a big opponent in front of audiences in his own country.

Pettis, who is from Milwaukee in the United States, won the WEC lightweight title in 2010 and the UFC lightweight world championship in 2013. He won the world title by defeating Benson Henderson in the UFC. Pettis began his professional career in January 2007, and the bout will be an important milestone in his career.

Pettis praised the growing opportunities in Indian boxing and mixed martial arts. He called Neeraj Goyat one of the best among Indian fighters and expressed his wish to fight him.

The full fight card, live broadcast details and ticket information will also be announced in November. Boxing fans are therefore now waiting for the host city announcement.