Cerrone and Pettis set for trilogy bout at RAF 15 in Chicago

Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis will collide for a third time at RAF 15 on November 28 at NOW Arena in Chicago, RAF announced Wednesday. The grappling event marks the RAF debut for both former UFC standouts.

Pettis holds a 2-0 record over Cerrone from their UFC meetings. In their first encounter in 2013, Pettis stopped Cerrone by first-round knockout on his way to capturing the lightweight title. When they rematched at UFC 249 in 2020, Pettis took the win again via a disputed decision.

Cerrone has been out of action since 2022, when he concluded his lengthy UFC tenure on a seven-fight winless streak. The fan favourite’s career with the promotion ended after a remarkable run that saw him set numerous UFC records for appearances and finishes.

Pettis has remained more active since departing the UFC. He competed in MMA for PFL in 2022 before branching out into boxing and Karate Combat. His most recent outing came in 2024, when he defeated Chris Avila by unanimous decision on the undercard of the Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal boxing card.

The third meeting between the two will take place on the mats rather than inside a cage, offering a different dimension to a rivalry that has twice been settled under MMA rules. Whether the change of format alters the dynamic between them remains to be seen when RAF 15 takes place later this month.