One of the greatest fighters never to compete in the UFC is about to change that.
“Pitbull” is headed to the UFC. Patricio Freire has signed with the promotion and will debut vs. Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 on April 12. The event takes place at Kaseya Center in Miami.
Freire (36-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is considered by many to be the greatest fighter in Bellator history. He predominantly competed at featherweight, where he was champion for three separate stints, but also held the promotion’s lightweight title.
Rodriguez (19-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) has not competed in the UFC since a February 2024 submission loss to Brian Ortega. The bout was his second in a row, as he previously lost a title unification bout to Alexander Volkanovski in July 2023.
Until January, Freire was with the brand since his debut at Bellator 15 in April 2010. He competed 30 times in the promotion (mostly in title fights) and was champion for four separate stints with nine title defenses.
In December, Frerie told MMA Junkie he wanted his immediate release from PFL and to sign with the UFC. Both of those wishes have since come true.
“I think all my numbers, all the types of fights I’ve put on in my career, I think they’d welcome me,” Freire said. “I’d like to get the chance to showcase my skills in this great organization. I would like to jump into the shark tank. I would like to fight the top guys. If I can’t get a title shot right away, give me someone who could lead me there sooner rather than later.
“We had some guys like Brian Ortega, Movsar Evloev, Diego Lopes, Alexander Volkanovski, and Yair Rodriguez, some of these guys have fought for the title already. So they won’t have much fresh names besides Diego there right now. I think bringing me there would give some fresh blood to the division and would make real shakeup over there. I’d like to prove myself against these guys and show them that I belong.”
With the addition, the UFC 314 lineup includes:
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
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Patricio Freire joins UFC, will debut against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314
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Patricio “Pitbull” Freire set to face Yair Rodriguez in his first bout at UFC 314
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Dana White Pulls the Trigger Amid Aaron Pico PFL Debacle as Patricio Pitbull Gets UFC Wish Granted
UFC
Dana White Pulls the Trigger Amid Aaron Pico PFL Debacle as Patricio Pitbull Gets UFC Wish Granted
Think Tank
Modified Feb 20, 2025 | 12:14 AM IT
via Imago
PFL is on the verge of giving several important announcements and the promotion has made several huge changes. Aaron Pico is still stuck at PFL because Donn Davis will not let him go. On the other hand, Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire has officially been discharged from his contract by the association after months of publicly stating his dissatisfaction with the company.
Watch What’S Trending Now!
And guess what this is not the only huge news because Dana White did not waste a single moment! ‘Pitbull’—drumrolls please—is now a part of the UFC roster! Davis, the president of PFL revealed ‘Pitbull’s release from PFL through his X profile. He wrote, “We are releasing PatricioPitbull. @PFLMMA is all about opportunity I founded this company to create new great opportunities for top fighters PFL has and will continue to do that for all top fighters who want to be here #PFLMMA.”
The 37-year-old talked with MMA Planet and spoke about his frustration with PFL not giving him any confirmed fights. He said, “I had always told the PFL that I wanted to fight. The only time they ever approached me about a fight was when I was asked to fight Chihiro (Suzuki Chihiro) on New Year’s Eve. Then in November, I found out that Chihiro was fighting Kleber at X.”
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So he was a free agent from when PFL released him in January and, after a month of resilience and persuasion, he has been signed into UFC! He is already at the later stages of his career but his performance and resume in Bellator are impeccable so the UFC head honcho could not let go of the chance to sign another high-level prospect from it’s once-biggest rival. However, what about Aaron Pico?
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The ‘chosen one’ of MMA who was quite sought after is in some trouble right now. He was already a successful wrestler and was considered to be the next big shot in MMA. Naturally, Bellator’s former president Scott Coker did not waste any time and signed him under Bellator. But now that Bellator is under the shadow of PFL, ‘Cheeks’ wants out.
Why? Because the highly touted featherweight contender is not getting proper fights under PFL. Fortunately, he reached the end of his contract with PFL this January and is a free agent so to speak. But there is a catch. The promotion still had matching rights. This means that if Pico signs with the UFC (which is what he wants), the PFL could match that offer.
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Did PFL make a mistake letting ‘Pitbull’ go, or is UFC the right place for him?
Debate
Donn Davis recently responded to Pico’s full release from PFL. Davis said, “Love Aaron Pico, rising star fighter and great person,” Davis wrote on X. “To be clear, PFL is not holding him back. Pico as [a] free agent can sign today with UFC and then PFL can decide whether to match [the] offer. That is [the] standard MMA contract Pico signed and how [the] MMA industry works.”
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After seeing Davis’ response Pico declared that he was fixed in his decision and nothing could change that. Thankfully Ali Abdelaziz is his manager, so maybe he can implore Dana White to take a decision soon. Even Joe Rogan spoke about his potential and the great asset he could be for UFC. What do you think Dana White will do? Tell us in the comments below.
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Debate
Did PFL Make A Mistake Letting ‘Pitbull’ Go, Or Is UFC The Right Place For Him?
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Tanushree Bhowmick
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