Anthony Pettis Says He’s “Parted Ways With The UFC”, Thanks Promotion

Anthony Pettis stopped short, before and immediately after UFC Vegas 17, of saying his UFC run is ending. But, based off recent comments ‘Showtime’ has made, one could conclude the former lightweight champ doesn’t expect to fight in the Octagon again.

Pettis announces free agency

Leading up to UFC Vegas 17, Pettis confirmed that his fight with Alex Morono was the last on his current, UFC deal. When he was asked about his future, Pettis said he was just focused on winning.

After he defeated Morono by decision, Pettis said he was going to take time to think about his next move. But, he also talked about how a fight with Tony Ferguson “makes sense”.

More recently, however, Pettis tweeted out this.

After 12 years I’ve decided to part ways with the UFC to explore free agency.

In addition, Pettis tweeted out a picture of a letter he sent the UFC and Dana White, in which he thanked them for his time with the company.

Reaction?

So, there’s a couple of things to look at here.

First off, the comments above doesn’t necessarily indicate that Pettis won’t resign with the UFC for sure. It certainly sounds like he’s not planning to be back, but, you never know.

What’s also interesting here is that typically, the UFC has an exclusive negotiating window after a fighter finishes their contract. So, it could be that the UFC has already told the star’s management that they’re waiving that right, or that Pettis had a differently structured deal.

If the UFC has waived the negotiating window, then this would be another strong indicator Pettis will wind up elsewhere.

It’s also worth noting that Anthony’s brother Sergio fights for Bellator. So, given the circumstances, it wouldn’t at all be surprising if he joins his brother there.

The 33-year-old Pettis has won back-to-back bouts and now holds a record of 24-10.