Patricio Freire believes he can cement his legacy during the Bellator featherweight grand prix.
“Pitbull” already defeated Juan Archuleta in the opening round and will now take on Pedro Carvalho on Friday in the quarter-finals. It is a fight the Brazilian picked during the selection show but says he did it because of the date, not because of the opponent.
“I said I would take the latest date just before my fight. The option was between him and Caldwell because they were set for March,” Freire said to BJPENN.com. “Caldwell had two defeats to a flyweight just recently so out of everyone in the bracket, he was the least deserving contender. Pedro got lucky that he was at that date.”
Entering this fight with Carvalho, it will be the first time the SBG Ireland product fights five rounds, so Freire is confident he’ll be able to push the pace. He also knows no matter where the fight goes, he is the better fighter.
“This fight is like a river, it flows so I do whatever I feel is right. I don’t ever go into a fight thinking I need to take it down or just need to keep standing,” he said. “I do what I feel is best, I could strike him out or try and submit it. It depends on the flow of the fight. I don’t worry about what he presents to me. I know I’m better than him everywhere.”
Given Patricio Freire says he is better everywhere when compared to Carvalho, the Brazilian is expecting to earn another stoppage win.
Yet, Pitbull says he doesn’t know how he will do it as he knows he’ll be able to knock him out or submit it. It is all about what is the most satisfying to him on that night.
“I’m still deciding how he will lose. He can try to hit me, but he won’t find me. When he thinks I am in a place I will be somewhere else. He thinks he has all the answers,” he explained. “But I’m going to give him several other questions and some that he has no idea how to solve. If I feel like taking him down and submitting him I’ll do it. If I feel like knocking him out, I’ll do it. I’m still thinking about the most satisfying way to finish him.”
In the end, should Freire go on to win the featherweight grand prix as he believes, he says that cements himself as the greatest featherweight of all-time.
“I think there should be no doubt about me being the best featherweight in the world and in history as well. I put my belt on the line and always defending my titles and I know Jose Aldo had several title defenses but he had pulled out of several fights. He took time off in between fights and lost his belt for a long time,” Freire concluded. “I think I’m the most active featherweight champion MMA have seen and I’m the one who has gone through risks. So, I think I should be no doubt after this tournament is over that I am the greatest featherweight of all-time.”
Do you think Patricio Freire is the greatest featherweight of all-time if he wins the Bellator grand prix?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/9/2020.