Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis returned to action at PFL 5 this Friday. However, he ended up on the wrong end of the bout as he was submitted by Stevie Ray by an unusual submission.
Pettis served as the co-main event of the regular season card at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, GA. He was facing the 23-10 Scottish lightweight Stevie Ray.
‘Showtime’ looked slick on the feet in the opening round, throwing an axe kick and a flying knee to kick off the fight. He also successfully defended Ray’s takedown and clinch attempts.
The 35-year-old then tried to keep his momentum into the second round. Pettis then tried to pick his Scottish counterpart apart on the feet.
However, Pettis successfully reversed Ray’s takedown and ended up in top position full guard. While locking Pettis with a body triangle, Ray apparently wanted to try and get a bit creative.
As Pettis tried to scramble free from the body lock, Ray twisted his torso to get an unusual submission that immediately forced Pettis to submit.
What a sub and what a moment for Stevie Ray, who has had his fair share of crappy luck. Incredible finish v Pettis. pic.twitter.com/s9FHzALGOR
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) June 25, 2022
With the biggest win of his career, Ray successfully landed himself on the No.4 seed in the lightweight bracket. While for Pettis, he still remains No.1 despite the loss. The pair will have an immediate rematch in the opening round of the playoffs.
Once a WEC and UFC lightweight champion, the career of Anthony Pettis hit a roadblock after losing his belt to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185 back in 2014. After the loss, he went 6-7 which leads to his release from the UFC.
After signing with PFL in 2021, his career also wasn’t so bright with back-to-back decision losses against Clay Collard and Raush Manfio. He rebounds with a submission win over Myles Price in May but then submitted by Stevie Ray last Friday.