Anthony Pettis says playing it safe cost him in Stevie Ray loss: 'I already knew I was in the playoffs'

Anthony Pettis admits he didn’t have the best approach to his most recent fight.

The former UFC champion says he tried to play it safe in his final PFL lightweight regular season bout against Stevie Ray in June. Pettis (25-13), who had picked up six points with a first-round finish in his first season bout, already was qualified for the playoffs – which is why he tried to prioritize avoiding injury against Ray.

Pattis thinks this approach ultimately played a factor in his submission loss to Ray.

“Honestly, I was a little complacent because I already knew I was in the playoffs and that fight was just kind of – I had to get through the fight, really,” Pettis told MMA Junkie Radio. “I looked at that fight like, ‘Let’s try not to get hurt. Let’s play it smart,’ as opposed to, ‘Let’s go finish this guy and get the job done,’ and it backfired on me.

“I played into his game and he had a great trap set up for my back escape, and I don’t think it will happen again.”

Pettis won the first round of the bout standing with Ray. When asked why he chose to take the fight to the canvas, which ultimately was where he ended up losing the fight, Pettis thought that was the best way to avoid damage.

“Our game plan for that fight was to keep it safe,” Pettis said. “My coaches and myself were like, ‘OK, let’s get out there and if we finish him, let’s finish him – but let’s play it safe and not get injured for the playoffs.’

“I know in the PFL you can’t elbow on the ground, so it’s a pretty safe spot to be on top of a guy – just avoid submissions. That’s probably what went through my head: ‘Let’s get on top of him and win the round.'”

Pettis returns Aug. 5 in the semifinals of the 2022 PFL playoffs. He takes on Ray in a rematch that headlines the event in New York.