Pettis Draws Support From BKFC Fighter Ahead Of India Bout

Anthony Pettis has drawn support from a BKFC main eventer who once shared a fight card with the former UFC lightweight champion.

Ryan Reber, who headlines BKFC Clearwater on October 23 against Justin Street, backed Pettis ahead of his January 23 boxing match against Neeraj Goyat in India. Reber fought on the undercard when Pettis beat Roy Jones Jr. in a Gamebred Boxing bout, and told Bare Knuckle Bowker that the upcoming Most Valuable Promotions card came as news to him. "I didn't even know about that fight, man," Reber said, per BJPenn.com. "Now you put me onto it."

Reber's Longstanding Fandom For Pettis

The multi-time bare knuckle title challenger described his appreciation for Pettis, which dates back over fifteen years. "I remember watching him when he premiered on MTV," Reber said. "This was like probably 15 years ago, 16 years ago. I just remember watching that show with him on it, and I became a huge fan of his." Reber said he sought out Pettis for a photo when the former champion appeared at a bare knuckle event. "There's not a lot of people that I fanboy or want to take pictures with," he added. "I was like, listen, brother, I need a picture with you."

Pettis will face Goyat, a WBC Asia titleholder, as MVP attempts to expand boxing's reach in the Indian market. Reber said he plans to watch the bout and wishes his one-time co-headliner well. "Hats off to him, man," he said. "Now I'm going to tune in and I hope the best for him."

Reported via:

• BJPenn — Anthony Pettis vs. Neeraj Goyat weighed in on by BKFC headliner with Pettis ties