Patricio Freire will look to exit the Bellator featherweight grand prix the same way he enters it – as champion. And his journey starts Saturday night.
At Bellator 228, Freire (29-4 MMA, 17-4 BMMA) returns to battle undefeated Juan Archuleta (23-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) in the main event at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
In his last outing, Freire knocked out Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler in 61 seconds to become a dual titleholder. “Pitbull” will look to bring that momentum into the first round of the 145-pound tournament.
MMA Junkie recently caught up with Freire, and you can check out the Q&A below.
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Can you recap your most recent fights, starting with the TKO loss to Benson Henderson, followed by your current winning streak? Why have you been fighting just once or twice a year?
I see that fight (with Henderson) as if I was in a bicycle race but suffered a flat tire. As I see it, at all times in which we were actually fighting, I was better than him. Even though I left with a broken leg, and my record shows a TKO loss, I see myself as the winner. If anyone wants to ask for a rematch, it should be him. Since that time, I have been successful in my bouts.
Against Daniel Weichel, I was superior to him even though one of the judges gave him the nod. I continued my winning streak against Emmanuel Sanchez more recently. I won, even though I had been dealing with health problems. I’d rather not talk about it, but I was sick during the actual fight. I’m always asking Bellator to fight more frequently. The only reason that hasn’t happened is because they haven’t been booking me very often.
If you dislike your opponent, couldn’t that negatively affect your performance?
Being emotional before a fight is never good, but I know how to control my emotions and stick to my strategy.
Can you talk about renewing your contract? What about the fact that it might keep you from facing other high-level fighters in other organizations?
Some organizations have allowed their champions to face each other. It’s part of the sport’s evolution. Who knows if one day UFC and Bellator champions could face off? I think it makes sense to have a sport with no barriers. But I’m happy with my organization. I just signed a very beneficial contract, although I can’t share the details.
I’ve been growing within the organization since 2009. It’s been a decade. It’s been great. Some of my requests were met. We reached a good accord. And, personally, there are some names I’d like to face. Not because they are in organization X, but because of who they are, their fight style and accomplishments. We’ll see.
You’re a champ-champ after defeating Michael Chandler, and now you get to defend your featherweight belt in a tournament centered around you. How are you feeling, and how have the lessons along the way helped you?
This is an excellent moment in my career. It’s not everyone who manages to become champion in two weight classes, much less simultaneously. I put in the work, and now I’m reaping the rewards. My bout against Ben Henderson ended up in an accident. I was dominating, and I don’t consider it a loss. Straus really had a good night (at Bellator 145). He’s the only one I would say really defeated me up to now. But it ended up being a good thing. I re-adapted my game and added new skills, which made me much better and more effective than before.
Does having everyone in the tournament looking to take your belt add extra pressure?
I’ve always looked positively at the possibility of a tournament. During the Bjorn Rebney era, the problem was the very short time between fights. But the way it will be done now, it’s good in regards to rest, recuperation and preparation. It doesn’t bother me that everyone has eyes on my belt. It just gives me more motivation to defend and to shut them all up.
What can you say about your next opponent?
Juan Archuleta deserves his title shot. A lot of people said that this fight is champion against No. 1 contender right off the bat. He deserves to be where he is, but he has holes in his game, which I plan to explore. I see myself winning by knockout.
How’s your training going?
All my preparation is being done again at Pitbull Brothers with the usual coaches and training partners. I may have a few cards up my sleeve, but I’m keeping those secret for now.
What keeps you motivated?
It doesn’t matter who’s in front of me. I’m here to break records. There’s always pressure for a champion to keep his belt. But I don’t fight to protect my belt. I fight to surpass myself and to make history with each bout.
Are you worried that Bellator might create an interim lightweight belt while you’re busy defending featherweight? What about the fact that your brother fights at lightweight?
I’m not sure what Bellator has in mind. They put my brother Patricky in the Rizin grand prix, so if all goes well, he’ll be able to fight for a belt next year. He’s the only person for whom I’d give up my belt. If Bellator wants to also have a tournament for the lightweights, that’s fine for me too. I just don’t agree that they should create an interim belt if my brother is not part of that.
We’re looking at the schedule. My plan is to win all my fights in the featherweight tournament, and if I have to defend my lightweight belt in the meantime, I’ll do that too.
