Patricio “Pitbull” Freire has built a legacy as one of the most successful fighters in Bellator. Unfortunately, his long-awaited UFC debut at UFC 314 didn’t go the way he hoped.
On the main card in Miami, Pitbull lost his first UFC debut in a unanimous decision to Yair Rodriguez. It wasn’t a blowout by any means, but it was clear Rodriguez had the edge throughout. And Pitbull, being the veteran he is, didn’t shy away from owning up to it.
“Maybe it’s from spending so many years fighting five-rounders, but I think I waited too long to turn things up,” Pitbull said in a post-fight chat with MMA Fighting. “That urgency I didn’t have it early. That was on me. I should’ve gone to war from the start.”
It’s rare to see someone with Pitbull’s resume look back at a fight and say, flat-out, “I could’ve done more.” But that’s exactly what he did. Pitbull didn’t blame nerves or the stage. If anything, he thinks he was too calm, too composed for a debut like this.
“I didn’t feel any jitters. Maybe that was part of the problem. I was too relaxed in there,” he said. “I don’t like making mistakes, so I held back more than I should have. But that hesitation might’ve cost me the fight.”
Pitbull believes if he had defeated Rodriguez he’d be in the top five discussion and might earn a title shot. Instead, he’s looking at the top 15, and trying to reset but he’s hopeful about his next performance .
“Now that I’m no longer a champion, I have to become the hunter again,” he said. “That’s what I’m going to do in my next fights, no waiting, no holding back.”
The fighter ran a poll on his social media to let fans weigh in on his next opponent. Dan Ige, who also fought (and controversially KO’d Sean Woodson) that night in Miami, led the vote over names like Josh Emmett, Aljamain Sterling, and Diego Lopes.
“They’re all solid opponents,” Pitbull said. “But honestly, I told the UFC to surprise me. I just want to get back in there and fight.”
It’s been a rocky stretch for Pitbull, he’s now 1-3 in his last four, but the fighter has proven himself time and time again and promises to get back in the game.
