New Delhi: UFC CEO Dana White has announced that Patricio Pitbull Freire is set to make his UFC debut with his first fight was announced. The Brazilian mixed martial arts professional will face Yair Rodriguez of Mexico in the featherweight division at the UFC 314.
Freire has a terrific record in the Bellator MMA, having won 36 professional bouts and lost seven times. He won the featherweight title on three occasions apart from clinching the lightweight championship, which makes him only the second fighter in the Bellator history to win two titles of different weight class at the same time.
Known to be one of the best Bellator fighter, the Pitbull, in a bid to add a third championship, dropped to bantamweight and went on to challenge America’s Sergio Pettis. The latter eventually won by an unanimous decision to crush the Brazilian’s hopes for the bantamweight title.
Thereafter, Pitbull lost to Chihiro Suzuki of Japan in a knockout bout of the 154lb catchweight class before registering a triumph against Jeremy Kennedy of Canada in the Bellator Champions Series. Freire competed in the Bellator for over a decade.
In the announcement made by White, the Pitbull’s debut match against Rodriguez at UFC 314 in April. Even the Brazilian took to his social media handle to make the announcement of his arrival.
“”It’s time to conquer a new crown. @ufc featherweights, your future king has arrived’” he wrote.
The Pitbull’s Move to the UFC
Pitbull was part of the Bellator Champion Series, which was revamped under the ownership of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). But then lack of fight opportunities prompted the fighter to make a public demand for his release and expressed wish to join the UFC.
After the UFC 310 post-fight presser, White, while addressing to the question over Freire’s demand to join UFC, took a jab at the PFL over the body’s lack of finances and mismanagement.
Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, a three-time Bellator featherweight champion, is making his highly anticipated UFC debut at UFC 314. He’ll face Yair Rodriguez in a featherweight bout. Freire’s move follows a successful, albeit frustrating, Bellator career where he also held the lightweight title. UFC Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
