Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Joins Brother in Fourth Bellator Season
Chris Nelson Jan 9, 2011
Once-beaten lightweight Patricky
“Pitbull” Freire will join his younger brother, Patricio,
in Bellator Fighting Championships’ upcoming fourth season.
Sherdog.com has confirmed with a source close to the fighter that the elder Freire has inked a deal with the promotion and will make his debut in Bellator’s next 155-pound tournament. News of the signing was first reported by MMAJunkie.com.
Brother Patricio, runner-up in Bellator’s featherweight bracket in
their second season, is also expected to return to action in the
145-pound tournament.
A native of Natal, Brazil, Patricky Freire has compiled a record of 7-1 while competing mainly on the northeastern Brazilian circuit. Freire boasts a diverse set of credentials, having won state titles in jiu-jitsu, kickboxing and muay Thai. Of his six wins, four have come by way of knockout.
Freire’s only defeat came in September 2007, in a controversial technical decision loss to current UFC lightweight Willamy “Chiquerim” Freire after both fighters fell from the ring. Following the “Chiquerim” fight, Freire underwent knee surgery which kept him out of MMA competition for more than two years. He returned in April 2010 and reeled off three consecutive wins -- including a TKO against Deep veteran Marlon Medeiros -- before signing with Bellator.
Freire is the first confirmed participant in the 155-pound tournament. In October, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney told Sherdog.com that former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough, teenage Polish prospect Marcin Held, former Mizzou wrestling star Michael Chandler and Olympic judoka Ferrid Kheder were all possibilities for the tournament, as well as former Bellator tournament participants Toby Imada and Carey Vanier.
Sherdog.com has confirmed with a source close to the fighter that the elder Freire has inked a deal with the promotion and will make his debut in Bellator’s next 155-pound tournament. News of the signing was first reported by MMAJunkie.com.
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A native of Natal, Brazil, Patricky Freire has compiled a record of 7-1 while competing mainly on the northeastern Brazilian circuit. Freire boasts a diverse set of credentials, having won state titles in jiu-jitsu, kickboxing and muay Thai. Of his six wins, four have come by way of knockout.
Freire’s only defeat came in September 2007, in a controversial technical decision loss to current UFC lightweight Willamy “Chiquerim” Freire after both fighters fell from the ring. Following the “Chiquerim” fight, Freire underwent knee surgery which kept him out of MMA competition for more than two years. He returned in April 2010 and reeled off three consecutive wins -- including a TKO against Deep veteran Marlon Medeiros -- before signing with Bellator.
Freire is the first confirmed participant in the 155-pound tournament. In October, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney told Sherdog.com that former WEC lightweight champion "Razor" Rob McCullough, teenage Polish prospect Marcin Held, former Mizzou wrestling star Michael Chandler and Olympic judoka Ferrid Kheder were all possibilities for the tournament, as well as former Bellator tournament participants Toby Imada and Carey Vanier.
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