Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis will make his PFL debut against Clay Collard in the main event of the promotion's return card on April 23, the PFL announced Tuesday.
Pettis, who's returning to the lightweight division to compete for the PFL's $1-million divisional prize, joined the promotion in December after hitting free agency.
The PFL canceled its 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pettis-Collard event marks the start of the 2021 regular season, which will run through June.
Pettis beat Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Alex Morono in his last two fights in the UFC. He won the 155-pound belt in 2013 by defeating Benson Henderson and defended his title once. The 34-year-old has also competed in the featherweight and welterweight divisions.
Collard, a professional boxer, owns an 18-8 (1 NC) record in MMA. The 27-year-old has competed in seven boxing fights since January 2020, winning five in a row before losing his last two.
Two-time PFL lightweight champion Natan Schulte will face Marcin Held in the card's co-main event.
