PFL 5: Stevie Ray Stuns with Submission of Anthony Pettis

Anthony Pettis and Stevie Ray, PFL 5 astatine the Overtime Elite Arena successful Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, June 24, 2022. (Cooper Neill / PFL)

Lightweight person Anthony Pettis returned to enactment astatine PFL 5 connected Friday, throwing down with chap UFC alum Stevie Ray a week aft the remainder of the 155 lb tract had wrapped up their season.

Pettis already had a playoff spot locked up; Ray, meanwhile, needed an aboriginal decorativeness to beforehand to the post-season.

The combat did not extremity however anyone expected.

Living up to his “Showtime” name, Pettis opened the bout with a precocious footwear that conscionable hardly missed. From there, helium circled on the fence, past exploded guardant with a jumping genu that missed. Ray walked forward, throwing, but Pettis fired a counter. The erstwhile UFC and WEC champ went backmost to circling on the fence; a precocious footwear came, but this clip attraction of Ray, whose onslaught was blocked. Ray past looked to clinch up and hunt for a takedown. Pettis reversed, they’d conflict for position, break, and spell backmost to the fence.

Ray would property guardant successful the last infinitesimal of circular one, with Pettis connected his heels a bit. Ray had his hands going and seemed to beryllium successful his comfortableness zone, but a spinning footwear by Pettis closed retired the round, with Ray forced to block.

Stevie Ray pressed the enactment aboriginal successful circular two, walking forward, throwing a combo, and adding a footwear — archetypal low, past to the assemblage a infinitesimal later. The brace circled; Ray chopped astatine Pettis’ different leg. At the 3 infinitesimal mark, Pettis opted to alteration things up, and changeable for a treble limb takedown, landing it. But Ray coiled up taking the back, landing immoderate dense strikes astatine Pettis covered up. Pettis made it to the fence, Ray inactive with 1 hook in. He added a second, and dragged Pettis down, switching to a assemblage lock.

Ray seemed to person the precocious hand, but Pettis was capable to reverse. A infinitesimal later, however, and Ray pulled disconnected the upset! The Scottish combatant inactive had a assemblage triangle, enactment unit connected Pettis’ precocious body, and conscionable similar that forced a tap! A modified twister/body lock, a precise awesome finish, and 5 points for Stevie Ray.

STEVIE RAY GETS THE TAP!!!!

RAY IS GOING TO THE #PFLPLAYOFFS!!#2022PFL5 LIVE connected ESPN & ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomkWj8 pic.twitter.com/AIwfNlWFtS

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 25, 2022

Thanks to the decorativeness and those points, Ray locks up a spot successful the lightweight playoffs. With Pettis already there, we could beryllium seeing a rematch shortly.

Official Result: Stevie Ray def. Anthony Pettis by submission (modified bodylock), Round 2, 3:57