By the time Anthony Pettis stepped into the “Smart Cage” against Stevie Ray at PFL 5 last June, “Showtime” was already guaranteed a spot in the 2022 playoffs, based on points accumulated in the elimination rounds earlier in the year.
In addition, the former UFC lightweight champion is no longer competing for both a “show” and “win” purse; meaning, Pettis gets paid the same regardless of whether or not he wins or loses. That made his decision to prematurely tap against Ray a no-brainer.
“I was already guaranteed a spot [in the playoffs], so I’m going into that fight like, ‘I really don’t have to do anything in this fight,’” Pettis told The MMA Hour. “He put me in that position, it was a split instinct like, ‘Should I let this rib pop and try to fight through this’ — because I probably could have fought through the body triangle — but I’m like, ‘This (next) fight is what matters.’ The championship was the goal the whole time. I’m not gonna get hurt in that fight so this (next) fight I’m gonna be good. I get guaranteed money.”
Bettors who picked “Showtime” do not.
The winner of the PFL 2022 tournament walks away with a $1 million purse, so there’s more at stake than just wins and losses. While it may not sit well with traditional fighters who loathe “silly-ass suits,” Pettis made a tactical decision to preserve his spot in the tourney.
Or took a dive, depending on how you look at it.
Pettis and Ray will rematch atop the PFL Playoff event this Friday night (Aug. 5) from Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The winner will advance to the lightweight finals against the winner of Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Alexander Martinez.
His ego is too large to to let him be quiet about that…. Normally one would want to shut up about that & say you had a rib injury or something lol.
What a disgusting attitude.
ARIEL IS SUCH A F’N SCUM BUCKET, HATE HEARING HIM KISS ASS EVERY F’N INTERVIEW
I would lol if he gets tapped by that move again.
He also gave credence to the win/show money bullshit. He admitted to tapping because he is guaranteed his check whereas he might not have if it was win/show. This fuels Danas argument which sucks.
Yep but it’s true. People always try to perform better when there’s incentive to do so
I actually don’t believe him.
lol I just watched it, sorry but no. He was in a lot of pain and tapped from it, my ass he was thinking rationally like “oh if I tap now I’ll be ok financially and preserve my health blah blah blah”. And really it was at the beginning of the applied pressure, Stevie still had room to stretch him out further and keep him there, he was fucked regardless.
haha came here to say this. same sub with a bit fuller, extended crank so that Anthony’s decision making process can be simplified :o)
interesting
Exactly why I don’t believe him. The thought process was definitely more like “Oh shit, this hurts, I’m stuck, OUCHH. TAP TAP!”
Haha. Pettis is living well. Not even a top 30 LW globally at this point and he is making $700k a fight that nobody bothers to watch.
Has to be the best/worst pay to ratings ratio in the history of the sport. $700k for 175,000 people to watch your fight, hilarious.
What is he supposed to do talk shit to everybody?
Yeah that fucking showtime kick, kids still living off that even tho he looks a shell of his former self imo
I mean if he’s being honest wouldn’t that be cheating? In a way?