Patricio Freire
Pitbull
Brazil
Picks up first UFC victory
Freire defeated Dan Ige via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC 318 on Saturday in New Orleans.
ANALYSIS
Pitbull looked awful on all fronts in his much-anticipated UFC debut against Yair Rodriguez in April, but the fighter we saw this evening looked much more like the guy that was arguably the greatest performer in the history of the Bellator promotion. Pitbull made a constant point to attempt to wrestle Ige, and for the most part, it worked. He landed 5-of-9 takedown attempts, and while it led to little ground control time (2:44), the shots served to keep Ige off balance. Pitbull landed one huge strike in Round 2, while Ige returned fire with a similar blow in Round 3. The Brazilian would be better served to fire off more volume on the feet on a consistent basis, but as Daniel Cormier correctly pointed out on the broadcast, Pitbull's output increases when he has his opponent hurt. The 38-year-old should be able to work his way into at least a handful more notable fights during his UFC run.
Pitbull looked awful on all fronts in his much-anticipated UFC debut against Yair Rodriguez in April, but the fighter we saw this evening looked much more like the guy that was arguably the greatest performer in the history of the Bellator promotion. Pitbull made a constant point to attempt to wrestle Ige, and for the most part, it worked. He landed 5-of-9 takedown attempts, and while it led to little ground control time (2:44), the shots served to keep Ige off balance. Pitbull landed one huge strike in Round 2, while Ige returned fire with a similar blow in Round 3. The Brazilian would be better served to fire off more volume on the feet on a consistent basis, but as Daniel Cormier correctly pointed out on the broadcast, Pitbull's output increases when he has his opponent hurt. The 38-year-old should be able to work his way into at least a handful more notable fights during his UFC run.
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Finds next opponent
Freire will face off against Dan Ige at UFC 318 on July 19, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Freire will look to bounce back against Dan Ige after losing his most recent bout against Yair Rodriguez in April. The 37-year-old Brazilian fighter is 0-1 during his time with the UFC, with a 36-8 overall professional record.
Freire will look to bounce back against Dan Ige after losing his most recent bout against Yair Rodriguez in April. The 37-year-old Brazilian fighter is 0-1 during his time with the UFC, with a 36-8 overall professional record.
Struggles mightily in UFC debut
Freire lost to Yair Rodriguez via unanimous decision (27-30, 27-30, 27-30) at UFC 314 on Saturday in Miami.
ANALYSIS
Hands down one of the most decorated fighters in the history of the Bellator promotion, Pitbull made his long-awaited UFC debut here, and it didn't go well. It's hard to believe a 37-year-old who is closing in on 50 professional fights could be overwhelmed by the moment, but the Brazilian was unable to get out of first gear. He was never able to consistently close the distance between the two, which was a disaster considering Rodriguez's five-inch reach edge. Pitbull appeared to be making some minor headway early in Round 3, only to get dropped and nearly finished. There are plenty of reasons to believe Pitbull has some gas left in the tank, but his best days are almost certainly behind him, and matching him up against legitimate top-five featherweights like Rodriguez is a recipe for disaster.
Hands down one of the most decorated fighters in the history of the Bellator promotion, Pitbull made his long-awaited UFC debut here, and it didn't go well. It's hard to believe a 37-year-old who is closing in on 50 professional fights could be overwhelmed by the moment, but the Brazilian was unable to get out of first gear. He was never able to consistently close the distance between the two, which was a disaster considering Rodriguez's five-inch reach edge. Pitbull appeared to be making some minor headway early in Round 3, only to get dropped and nearly finished. There are plenty of reasons to believe Pitbull has some gas left in the tank, but his best days are almost certainly behind him, and matching him up against legitimate top-five featherweights like Rodriguez is a recipe for disaster.
Signs with UFC, scheduled for 314
Freire has signed with the UFC and will debut against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami, according to UFC President Dana White.
ANALYSIS
Freire, more commonly known as "Pitbull," has recently expressed his displeasure with a lack of opportunities to compete under the Bellator banner, and it appears he's gotten his wish and been released. The UFC was quick to scoop up the long-time Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion and will add him to the main card of a pay-per-view within a matter of months. His opponent, Rodriguez, may be on a two-fight skid, but he's a former interim champion with youth on his side, in addition to major advantages in height and reach. At Pitbull's advanced age, it wouldn't be surprising for him to enter as a betting underdog.
Freire, more commonly known as "Pitbull," has recently expressed his displeasure with a lack of opportunities to compete under the Bellator banner, and it appears he's gotten his wish and been released. The UFC was quick to scoop up the long-time Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion and will add him to the main card of a pay-per-view within a matter of months. His opponent, Rodriguez, may be on a two-fight skid, but he's a former interim champion with youth on his side, in addition to major advantages in height and reach. At Pitbull's advanced age, it wouldn't be surprising for him to enter as a betting underdog.
Falls short in history-making quest
Freire came up short in his bid to become the Bellator Bantamweight Champion, falling to Sergio Pettis via unanimous decision (46-49, 45-50, 45-50) at Bellator 297 on Friday in Chicago.
ANALYSIS
Freire had been attempting to make Bellator history here, as a victory would have made him the first fighter in the promotion to hold a belt in three weight classes, as Freire has previously held belts at both featherweight and lightweight (and remains the current featherweight champion). This time around, it wasn't meant to be. After a close first frame, Freire ate a huge spinning wheel kick in Round 2 and barely made it to the bell. From there, the momentum stayed largely on the side of Pettis, as was evident from the final scorecards. It's unclear what's next for the 35-year-old Brazilian, who stills seems to have plenty in the tank, but has also already accomplished just about everything he can under the Bellator banner.
Freire had been attempting to make Bellator history here, as a victory would have made him the first fighter in the promotion to hold a belt in three weight classes, as Freire has previously held belts at both featherweight and lightweight (and remains the current featherweight champion). This time around, it wasn't meant to be. After a close first frame, Freire ate a huge spinning wheel kick in Round 2 and barely made it to the bell. From there, the momentum stayed largely on the side of Pettis, as was evident from the final scorecards. It's unclear what's next for the 35-year-old Brazilian, who stills seems to have plenty in the tank, but has also already accomplished just about everything he can under the Bellator banner.
Defends title against Borics
Freire defeated Adam Borics via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 50-45) at Bellator 286 on Oct. 1 in Long Beach, California.
ANALYSIS
Freire continues to cement his case as one of the greatest Bellator fighters of all time, as the former two-division champion now has his first title defense of his third overall reign as featherweight king. This particular one wasn't the most crowd-pleasing at times, as Pitbull used his wrestling and grappling to gain and keep advantageous positions on the mat while doing just enough on the feet to earn the favor of the judges. On two separate occasions, Borics attempted flying knees that were caught by Freire and resulted in takedowns. The biggest case for a Borics round came in the fourth frame, where he was able to avoid the takedown and continue pressing to attack (and land) leg kicks on the champion. Still, he never seemed to threaten Pitbull enough to put him in serious danger. Looking ahead, Pitbull is now interested in further adding to his legacy by dropping down to bantamweight and contending for a title there, which would result in the incredibly-rare feat of holding belts in three separate divisions at different points in his career.
Freire continues to cement his case as one of the greatest Bellator fighters of all time, as the former two-division champion now has his first title defense of his third overall reign as featherweight king. This particular one wasn't the most crowd-pleasing at times, as Pitbull used his wrestling and grappling to gain and keep advantageous positions on the mat while doing just enough on the feet to earn the favor of the judges. On two separate occasions, Borics attempted flying knees that were caught by Freire and resulted in takedowns. The biggest case for a Borics round came in the fourth frame, where he was able to avoid the takedown and continue pressing to attack (and land) leg kicks on the champion. Still, he never seemed to threaten Pitbull enough to put him in serious danger. Looking ahead, Pitbull is now interested in further adding to his legacy by dropping down to bantamweight and contending for a title there, which would result in the incredibly-rare feat of holding belts in three separate divisions at different points in his career.