Ethan goss is ready for his close up: Former 247 Fighting ChampionsHips Double Champion will fight Thursday in PFL

Ethan Goss, who was a double champion in the featherweight and lightweight divisions of the Pittsburgh-based 247 Fighting Championships, will fight on the PFL World Tournament 10 card Thursday night at Hollywood Casino in Florida. Goss is 12-7 in his career. Photo courtesy of Andrew Palla

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"I'm just going to show up and let it fly. I figure there’s a 50/50 chance I can win.”

Ethan Goss’ travels frequently send him winding through the mountains and hills of Central and Western Pennsylvania. Goss will go as far as he has to to refine his skills in mixed martial arts.

Sometimes, Goss will dip down into Virginia for additional work.

When Goss isn’t traveling for practice, he does color commentary for the broadcast of the 247 Fighting Championships events, making the 107-mile drive from his home in Petersburg, Pa., to North Versailles.

“It’s crazy sometimes,” Goss said. “Especially when I’m in training camps. I bet I’ve done over half a million miles in training. It can get old and hectic after a while. But it’s what I have to do to get the work done.”

All of the roads led to Goss landing in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this week. Goss will return to the national stage following an eight-year absence to take on Alexei Pergande in a showcase featherweight bout on the PFL World Tournament 10 card Thursday night at Hollywood Casino.

Goss had a cameo with Bellator in 2017 during an event in State College before returning to the regional scene. Goss is one of three MMA fighters from the Pittsburgh-based 247 Fighting Championships to compete in one of the major MMA promotions. 

John De Jesus, who was a 247 champion, competed in Bellator. Another former 247 champion, Khama Worthy, had a five-fight run in the UFC.
Dalton Rosta, a Laurel High School graduate, will headline the PFL card Goss is on. Rosta is fighting Fabian Edwards, brother of former UFC champion Leon Edwards, in the middleweight tournament final.

Rosta also competed at 247 in their grappling series. 

Goss is happy to be back. He would like to find a way to stay put.

“You get the itch for it,” Goss said. “It’s what you strive for, to make it to the big shows. No matter what the outcome is, you go back to work. It took longer than I hoped. But I went on a hell of a run with a five-year unbeaten streak. Here we are now, making a debut with the PFL.”

Change of Plans

Goss, 33, planned to bounce back from a heel hook loss last April by competing for Cage Fury Fighting championships Labor Day weekend in Atlantic City.

Before he signed, Goss said his manager texted him that the PFL reached out with an options contract.

He signed a three-fight deal, with one fight guaranteed. The PFL can offer him two more fights in 12 months.

“Ideally, we want to make a big splash on Thursday and they’ll keep us around,” Goss said.

Living the Dream at Bryce Jordan Center

​Goss’ previous opportunity on the national stage came during Bellator 186 in front of a reported crowd of 11,617 people. Bellator, which was the No. 2 promotion behind the UFC for many years, was bought by the PFL at the end of 2023.

Goss lost by split decision to Alex Salas during his lone fight with the promotion.

“It was amazing because it was the first time I got to be in a big arena,” Goss said. “I always wanted to fight at Bryce Jordan Center. It was the first and only time it happened there. I was lucky to be on it.”

Following the loss, Goss took one fight with PA Cage Fighting before joining 247 in 2019. Goss put together an 8-3 record with 247, capturing and defending the promotion’s lightweight and featherweight belts.

Goss’ home gym is Gorilla House in Altoona, but he also trains with the Mat Factory in Lower Burrell and Stout in Pittsburgh.

“When I first started training, I was a wrestler who was decent at grappling,” Goss said. “I’m a solid, legitimate black best. I work with high-level wrestlers and a world-class striking and grappling coach. I’m good everywhere. I pride myself on being well-rounded.”

‘The Pressure is All on Him’

Goss (12-7, 2 KOs) is a heavy betting underdog in his bout with Pergande. Bet 365 has Pergande as a -1100 favorite, with Goss sitting at +650.

Goss believes Pergande, who is 6-0, has plenty of potential. Pergande is billed as fighting out of Tennessee.

“He’s a young, talented kid,” Goss said. “He’s a good striker. He’s clean and well-rounded. It’s going to be a chess match on the feet. He’s going to be tough everywhere for a minute. This is my 20th professional fight, he hasn’t seen a dog like me.”

Pergande, 24, doesn’t have any knockouts in his career, but has collected two wins by submission. Goss, who has five submission wins, has reveled in the underdog role.

“The whole arena is going to count me out,” Goss said. “The only people who are going to be behind me. The pressure’s on him. He’s their boy, he’s the one they’ve been feeding, promoting and creating. I’m just going to show up and let it fly. I figure there’s a 50/50 chance I can win.”

Josh Rizzo is the editor and publisher of Pittsburgh Preps and Colleges. Story ideas can be submitted to [email protected] or on X @J_oshRizzo.