Former Bellator champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire is gearing up for his long-awaited UFC debut at UFC 314, where he will take on top featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez. With his transition from Bellator to the UFC, Pitbull is looking to prove himself on the sport’s biggest stage and he’s not shying away from potential high-profile matchups.
One name that naturally comes up is Jose Aldo, a fighter long considered the gold standard of the featherweight division. Much like Aldo did in the UFC, Pitbull ruled over Bellator’s featherweight division for years. And while Pitbull isn’t actively campaigning for a fight against the Brazilian legend, he admits that if the opportunity presents itself, he’s all in.
“I don’t have this desire to fight Aldo, nothing like that,” Pitbull told MMA Fighting. “But for the context, if an offer comes from the UFC, I would be happy to take it.”
Pitbull clarified that beating Aldo wouldn’t necessarily make him the greatest featherweight of all time. However, it would finally answer the long-standing “what if” question that MMA fans have debated for years.
“For Aldo and people in the UFC, everybody is sure he’s the best featherweight of all time,” Pitbull said. “But some people that know fighting [say], ‘There’s also Patricio, and maybe he could be fighting for the title of who’s the greatest.’”
“We know it wouldn’t determine who was the best or who has done more, but in a fight, we would at least have an answer. We’d know who catches fire first, and the winner would leave a great mark.”
After enduring a rough patch, Jose Aldo managed to reclaim UFC gold, becoming a two-time featherweight champion before dropping down to bantamweight. His most recent fight, however, ended in a controversial split-decision loss to Mario Bautista at UFC 307 in October.
Meanwhile, Pitbull’s résumé speaks for itself. The Brazilian has held titles in both Bellator’s featherweight and lightweight divisions and holds a notable win over RIZIN featherweight champion Kleber Koike.
As UFC 314 approaches, we at AfroCombat will be watching closely to see how Pitbull fares in his Octagon debut—and whether a long-anticipated clash with Aldo could be next on the horizon.
