As he prepares to take on Losene Keita at UFC Paris this Saturday, Patricio "Pitbull" Freire spoke to Fighters Only's Paul Browne about his carrying his legacy into the Octagon and his dreams of becoming the UFC champion.
Patricio “Pitbull” Freire has nothing left to prove—yet he remains as hungry as ever.
The 38-year-old Brazilian (37-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC), long regarded as the face of Bellator, signed with the UFC earlier this year and has wasted no time making up for lost opportunities. This Saturday at UFC Paris, he will step into the Octagon for the third time in just seven months, facing rising contender Losene Keita (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
For more than a decade, Freire was synonymous with Bellator. Over a 14-year career, he became the promotion’s most decorated fighter, compiling records for most appearances (30), victories (24), title fight wins (15), and stoppages (14). Along the way, he claimed world titles in two divisions across four reigns, cementing himself as the organization’s defining figure.
From Bellator Legend to UFC Contender
Now, with Bellator consigned to the history books and his UFC journey underway, “Pitbull” embraces both the weight of expectation and the excitement of a new challenge. Rather than being daunted by the stage he once seemed destined never to reach, Freire is channeling all of his energy toward one final pursuit: UFC gold.
“No, the pressure is not to do anything relating or comparing to my career at Bellator,” Freire responded this week when asked if he feels under pressure to live up to the reputation he built as the promotion’s most decorated champion. “The pressure is really for me to reach my goal, which is to be the UFC champion. So everything I do in my life, everything is set up in a way for me to become the UFC champion.”
Freire made his long-awaited Octagon debut in April, stepping in with much fanfare to face Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 in Miami. It proved a difficult night for the Brazilian, who dropped a decision on the judges’ scorecards against the former title challenger. Just three months later, however, he rebounded with his first UFC win, outpointing Dan Ige in New Orleans. The mixed results in his opening two appearances prompted some to question whether Freire should have made the jump to the UFC earlier in his career.
He admits he considered it, particularly after his stunning 61-second knockout of Michael Chandler at Bellator 221 in 2019, but insists he takes pride in the body of work he has built since then.
“After beating Chandler, it could have been a good window of time to come here,” he pondered. “But on the other hand, I will be forever engraved in the history of Bellator, in the history of the sport forever as the holder of more records than all the fighters who have existed on that platform.”
Chasing UFC History
Far from being in the UFC simply to make up the numbers, Freire has his sights set on matching Eddie Alvarez’s rare feat of claiming undisputed titles in both Bellator and the UFC. After getting his hand raised for the first time inside the Octagon last time out against Dan Ige, he now has a clear roadmap for achieving that goal.
“I'm going to beat Keita on Saturday and then I want to face Arnold Allen next,” he said. “When I beat him, I think then I can pretty much guarantee a title shot.”
