Hyderabad, Vizag and Chennai vie to host Goyat-Pettis boxing clash

Hyderabad: Neeraj Goyat and former UFC champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis stood face to face for the first time at a media briefing ahead of their January 23, 2027, bout, billed as the biggest professional boxing event ever staged in India.

The event, hosted by the Indian Pro Boxing League (IPBL) in association 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 made 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. “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.”

Goyat vs Pettis would be the first world-class professional boxing card in Chennai since then.

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 of 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.”

Neeraj Goyat, the first Indian boxer signed to MVP and a winner on the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson card, which was 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, a former UFC lightweight champion and 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 of the 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.”