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Neeraj Goyat and former UFC champion Anthony "Showtime" Pettis stood face to face for the first time today at a press conference in Hyderabad ahead of their January 23, 2027 bout, the biggest professional boxing event ever staged in India, according to an official statement.
The press conference, hosted by the Indian Pro Boxing League (IPBL) with the Indian Boxing Council (IBC) and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), was interrupted by a surprise video message from MVP co-founder Jake Paul, who used it to make his preference for the host city clear: Chennai. "We at MVP are always chasing historic opportunities, and bringing this to Chennai is something I'm keen on," Paul said in the message played on the arena screens. Jake Paul said hosting the fight in Chennai would mark a historic return for Indian boxing, 47 years after Muhammad Ali fought there. "We've done our research: around this date, 47 years ago, Muhammad Ali fought in that same venue. This would be the biggest comeback for Indian boxing in 47 years," he said. Ali boxed an exhibition at Chennai's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in January 1980 the last time a fighter of global stature stepped into a ring in the city. Goyat vs Pettis would be the first world-class professional boxing card in Chennai since. Asked about breaking into the Indian market, Paul added: "The right people and the right partners make the entry a lot easier, and that's what we have here." IPBL confirmed that Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Chennai are all in contention to host the fight, and that the host city, venue, ticketing and broadcast details will be announced together in the coming weeks. "Jake's message tells you how seriously the world is taking this fight," said Akshar Madhavaram, CEO and Co-Founder, IPBL. "Chennai has the history, and all three cities have made a strong case. We will announce the city soon. What is certain is the date 23 January 2027 and that India has never seen a boxing night like this one," he added. Neeraj Goyat, the first Indian boxer signed to MVP and a winner on the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson card watched in 108 million homes on Netflix, said: "Last time the world watched me from Texas. This time my people watch me at home. I respect Anthony; he is a legend of the cage but this is a boxing ring, and in a boxing ring in India, nobody beats me." Anthony Pettis, former UFC lightweight champion and a co-owner of IPBL, said: "I'm not here as a visitor I'm an owner in this league. India has the fans and the fighters; it hasn't had the platform. Neeraj has earned this, but I've fought world champions for fifteen years. On 23 January, he finds out what that means." Vivek, Indian Boxing Council, said: "Every bout on this card is IBC-sanctioned to the WBC standard. Professional boxing in India has lacked a stage and a structure; this event gives it both. We have fighters on this undercard who can be world champions within two years." The two fighters will face off again inside the cage at the Indian Fight League event in Hyderabad tonight, and for a second time on 14 November at the PFL event in Dubai. The full fight card, broadcast partners and ticketing will be announced in the coming weeks. Speaking to ANI, Anthony Pettis said boxing has a deeper-rooted history than MMA and expressed his desire to give Indian fighters a platform to showcase their talent to the world. I love boxing. Boxing's, you know, way more history than mixed martial arts. I feel like MMA for us is huge right now because of the UFC, but boxing has deeper-rooted history. Muhammad Ali fought here before. So I feel like India has boxing history, and I want to give them a chance to go show it to the world, he said. Anthony Pettis said he chose Neeraj Goyat because of his popularity in India and his ability to bridge combat sports with mainstream audiences. He's one of the most popular in India. He has a big following, and he's the bridge between actual combat sports and mainstream media, he said. Meanwhile, Neeraj Goyat said fighting on home soil would make the bout a major event for Indian fans and combat sports enthusiasts. I'm fighting on my home ground, fighting in my territory, and fighting after 10 years. And in those 10 years, many things have been happened in my journey. So now, for the Indian fans, the combat sports fans, it's going to be a huge thing for them that they will get to see a very big eventa UFC champion vs the real deal, he said. Neeraj Goyat said Anthony Pettis is a former MMA world champion, not a boxing champion, and described him as a regular opponent despite his reputation. Well, he is a former world champion in MMA, not in boxing. But yes, his name is being associated with boxing, with this event, so that's a big thing. But for me, like, he's a normal [fighter], he said. (ANI)
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