Patricio ‘Pitbull’ sets sights on former champ after Aaron Pico fight at UFC 327
Relatively new
Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Patrick Freire is seeking to pay somebody again for his or her harsh phrases about his earlier group.
Freire (37-8) spoke to Sherdog this week, who defined his present plan as a member of the UFC roster. The former Bellator MMA nice has seen blended outcomes since coming over in 2025, dropping in his debut to Yair Rodriguez however outpointing Dan Ige in July 2025 to earn his first UFC triumph.
The ranked featherweight shall be returning to the Octagon at
UFC 327 in April, the place he’ll face fellow former Bellator 145er Aaron Pico
(13-5). The American, on a three-fight win streak, fell quick in his personal organizational debut in August 2025 when Lerone Murphy smashed him with a spinning again elbow. Despite the crushing knockout loss for Pico, Freire is taking him critically and offers him credit score for his preliminary efficiency.
“Pico is a very tough guy,” the Brazilian remarked. “From what I’ve heard, if he had beaten Murphy, he would have had another fight and gone for the belt. He was clearly winning against Murphy when he was knocked out.”
Freire does imagine that the first-round knockout will drive Pico to return to his roots of wrestling to be able to choose up his first UFC win. Knowing that high-profile crossover athletes is probably not given the identical grace interval as another signee—Patrick Mix
misplaced twice within the UFC and was launched—Freire expects Pico will place himself in the very best place to get his hand raised.
“He is very explosive, he has a very hard hand, but his chin is not proportional to the strength of his fists and usually when he is knocked out, he comes back more of a grappler than a striker. I am prepared for everything,” revealed the former two-division Bellator champion.
He ran away from me
The UFC usually asks victorious athletes who they wish to face subsequent, and “Pitbull” is ready to reply that query within the occasion he surpasses Pico on April 11 at the Kaseya Center in Miami. He needs a top-five adversary, however not simply any title in that vary.
“I wish to end this fight rapidly and problem a high 5
[fighter]”Freire proclaimed. “Probably Aljamain Sterlingwho went round saying some nonsense when he claimed that Bellator fighters have been humiliated. When, in truth, he ran away from me. When I arrived at the UFC, he mentioned he would fight me, after which made excuses, then the UFC provided me Yair.”
It has not been all sunshine and rainbows for the Pitbull Brothers gymnasium founder, as wrestling coach Eric Albarracin—a resident of Natal, Brazil, since 2023—has suffered a private tragedy. The vaunted coach’s brother not too long ago died from most cancers, and he needed to journey again to the US to attend his funeral and assist his household with the associated issues. Freire needs him nothing however one of the best.
“I send my condolences and deepest sympathies to the captain for this great loss,” he concluded. “May God comfort his heart. We are waiting for him here to finish the camp.”
