“Honestly, I knew what I was looking for,” Pettis, who will compete in the PFL’s lightweight tournament, told SCMP MMA. “My goal right now at this stage of my career to become a champ.

“In the UFC, I’ve never fought out my contract ever. I always signed with two or three fights left. They did offer me a contract, but I made up my mind, talked to my managers and said, ‘Let’s see what’s out there’. If I’m ever gonna make a move, it’s the right time now.

“I’m still young in this game, I’m back motivated and hungry to become a champion and the deal the PFL offered me was very, very fair. And the opportunity to become a champion in 12 months, that’s exactly what I was looking for.

Former UFC champ Pettis signs multi-year deal with PFL

“If I went to another organisation, I would’ve had to fight my way up, I’m not saying it couldn’t be done, but I love the format these guys put out. Also they’re on ESPN, so it doesn’t change my audience, they can see my fights the exact same way, it just really made sense.”

The PFL offers a US$1 million prize to the winner of every weight division tournament, which obviously has its own appeal – but Pettis says his guaranteed downside “hit it on the money” also.

“It was up to me, like, do I want to go into contract battles?” he added. “Where I’m at in my career, let’s try something new, a totally different concept, I believe in it.

“Today is one of the best days in my life,” he added. “Signing a new deal, thinking about the future with no animosity or regrets for the past, but a brand new start in a new organisation. I’m gonna be kinda the face of this thing, I like to think that I’m one of the biggest names signed with the PFL.

“I get to carry that flag. I ended in WEC with the showtime kick, I jumped into UFC, carried that WEC flag, now the PFL is kinda counting on me to make this thing go more mainstream and bigger than it already is.

“They have some great deals with ESPN, Rory MacDonald is over there, Fabricio Werdum just signed, they’ve got some talent coming over but I feel I’m gonna carry that flag and bring this organisation to a whole new level.”

Pettis had plenty of other natural options – his brother, Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis (20-5) fights in Bellator, where his agents First Round Management have also recently housed former UFC stars Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (22-6) and Yoel Romero (13-5).

The American revealed his training partner Ben Askren (19-2) at Roufusport also reached out to him on behalf of ONE, where “Funky” won the welterweight title, to try and strike a deal.

“ONE was in the picture, Bellator was in the picture,” Pettis said. “What we did after the fight, we already requested we were gonna get out of our contract. Everybody ate the UFC, I love them guys, I grew up under them lights, I have great relationships with Dana White, Hunter Campbell, Sean Shelby.

“Sean gave me my chance in the WEC. Me and Sean have mad history together. It wasn’t nothing but business. Hey, I’m 33 years old, I’ve been champion in the WEC, the UFC. I made my run back at it. I I fought for the 145 pound title over there. Not much for me to do.

Pettis also pointed to the manner of UFC legend Anderson Silva’s (34-11) exit from the company as another motivation to leave on a high.

“Not trying to make this sound bad, but Anderson Silva, one of my idols, to see how he ended in the UFC, I’m like, you know I think it’s time for me to make a change and get that fire ignited again, and find some new goals and some new competition. And it was just perfect timing with my contract ending.”