Former Bellator champion Patricio ‘Pitbull’ will reportedly face a surging featherweight star who recently called him out.
Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire will get the second chance at making a great first impression on UFC fans when he returns to the Octagon later this summer.
Pitbull’s UFC 314 promotional debut fell short against former title challenger Yair Rodríguez by unanimous decision. The loss snapped a four-fight featherweight unbeaten streak, stemming from his Bellator rematch victory over AJ McKee at Bellator 277.
After a tumultuous contract dispute with the PFL, Pitbull requested and was granted his release, leading to the all-time great signing with the UFC. While his UFC 314 debut was a formidable test, Pitbull’s second UFC shot isn’t a significant drop in competition.
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Patricio ‘Pitbull’ set to potentially avenge UFC debut loss with second Octagon appearance
As reported on Tuesday, Pitbull will reportedly face UFC featherweight contender Dan Ige at UFC 318 in Chicago.
Brazilian MMA journalist Léo Guimaraes was the first to report the news of the Pitbull vs. Ige booking.
Ige returns to the Octagon after defeating Sean Woodson by controversial TKO at UFC 314. The win snapped a recent skid of losses in three of his previous four fights, including his hours’ notice defeat to Diego Lopes at UFC 303.
Ige is looking to get back into the featherweight title mix after recent victories against the likes of Nate Landwehr, Damon Jackson, and Andre Fili. The featherweight mainstay has developed into a UFC fan favorite since his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017.
After his controversial win at UFC 314, Ige called out Pitbull for his next fight, praising the former Bellator two-division champion as a ‘legend’ in MMA. At the time of his Bellator departure, Pitbull was widely regarded as the greatest fighter in the promotion’s history.
Alexander Volkanovski rumored to face familiar foe for next featherweight title defense
If the Pitbull vs. Ige fight comes to fruition, the featherweight matchup will take place at a time of uncertainty atop the division. UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski was originally expected to face Movsar Evloev after UFC 314, but the UFC reportedly has other plans for the undefeated Evloev’s next fight.
Rumors are spreading that Volkanovski will face Rodriguez for the first title defense of his second featherweight title reign later this year. Volkanovski finished Rodriguez in a featherweight title unification bout at UFC 290.
A matchup between Jean Silva and Lopes is also rumored for later this year, although nothing has been reported as of this writing. Silva called for a title shot after his finish against Bryce Mitchell at UFC 314.
Pitbull has the chance to catapult back into the featherweight title mix with an impressive performance against Ige.