LOS ANGELES – It seemed as though Patricio Freire’s involvement in the Bellator featherweight grand pix meant the lightweight title would be put on ice indefinitely.
But according to Bellator president Scott Coker, however, that may not be the case.
Coker said Freire (29-4 MMA, 17-4 BMMA), who puts his 145-pound belt up for grabs against Juan Archuleta (23-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) in an opening-round bout on Saturday at Bellator 228, has expressed the desire to also defend the 155-pound strap.
Should “Pitbull” beat Archuleta and advance to the quarterfinals, the tournament draw format could see him kept out of action until late into the first quarter of 2020. If the Brazilian wanted to jump up to keep active, Coker said he wouldn’t be opposed.
“‘Pitbull’ might have some breaks between the tournament,” Coker told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at Bellator 228 media day. “If he doesn’t fight until March, maybe he fights Saturday night, and if picks a fight in the March slot or whatever he ends up in the tournament, maybe he could fight in between, and we would definitely welcome that.”
Freire could be putting too much on his plate with such a workload, and much of his future planning depends on how the fight with Archuleta unfolds.
If he’s available to fight at lightweight, though, Coker said there are opponent options. A rematch with Benson Henderson, who fights Myles Jury in Friday’s Bellator 227 main event, is one of the fights Coker mentioned.
“I think he would like to defend both belts,” Coker said. “We have Benson (Henderson) fighting and a couple other ideas of who is going to fight between now and then.”
