PFL announces first-round featherweight, lightweight matchups, including debut of Anthony Pettis

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced the first-round matchups for its featherweight and lightweight seasons—including the league debut of former UFC and WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.

The league unveiled its first-round featherweight and lightweight fights, all of which will go down on the PFL 1 event on April 23, on Tuesday morning.

Highlights of this first round of matchups include Pettis debuting against the always dangerous Clay Collard, reigning lightweight champion Natan Schulte taking on UFC and Bellator veteran Marcin Held, and reigning featherweight champ Lance Palmer taking on Bubba Jenkins.

See the complete PFL 1 lineup, featuring Pettis, Schulte and Palmer, below:

HERE. WE. GO.#PFL1 MATCHUPS ARE SET! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1BTH5I7KrK

— PFL (@PFLMMA) February 23, 2021

Full PFL 1

ESPN 2 Card 

• Anthony Pettis vs. Clay Collard
• Natan Schulte vs. Marcin Held
• Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Jason Soares
• Lance Palmer vs. Bubba Jenkins

ESPN+ Card

• Loik Radzhabov vs. Johnny Case
• Joilton Lutterbach vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier
• Akhmed Aliev vs. Mikhail Odintsov
• Jo Sungbin vs. Tyler Diamond
• Brendan Loughnane vs. Sheymon Moraes

The PFL has has signed a host of high-profile free agents of late, including Rory MacDonald, Fabricio Werdum, Claressa Shields, and of course, Pettis.

Pettis explained his decision to sign with the league in an interview with SCMP MMA.

“Honestly, I knew what I was looking for,” Pettis said. “My goal right now at this stage of my career to become a champ.. I’m still young in this game, I’m back motivated and hungry to become a champion and the deal the PFL offered me was very, very fair. And the opportunity to become a champion in 12 months, that’s exactly what I was looking for.

“If I went to another organization, I would’ve had to fight my way up,” Pettis added. “I’m not saying it couldn’t be done, but I love the format these guys put out. Also they’re on ESPN, so it doesn’t change my audience, they can see my fights the exact same way, it just really made sense.”

How do you think Anthony Pettis will perform in the PFL?