Patricio Freire, a fighter with a stellar 37-9 MMA record, openly admits his 1-2 run in the UFC has left something to be desired. Now, with UFC 331 on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, “Pitbull” has a shot to finally show fans what he’s truly made of, and he’s not just aiming for a win; he’s got his eyes on Dana White’s special “pure chaos” $50,000 bonus.
The Bellator Legend’s UFC Struggle
Freire has a resume most fighters dream of, but his time in the UFC just has not clicked yet. He lost his promotional debut to Yair Rodriguez, picked up a win against Dan Ige, then stumbled again in his last fight against Aaron Pico. Straight up, he is not happy with how he has performed. “I didn’t like any of them,” Freire told reporters Wednesday, adding that he feels he has “not shown my potential at all” in those fights. It is a tough pill to swallow for a guy who has been in 46 professional fights and, even at 39 years old, still feels like he could step into the octagon every single month. He wants that dream to be a reality, now more than ever.
Choi’s Call-Out and “Pitbull”‘s Response
This fight on the main card against Dooho Choi is happening because Choi himself called out “Pitbull” after a victory back in May. And you know what? Freire loved it. He found the challenge refreshing. He was used to fighters calling him out during his Bellator days, but the name drops have been quiet since he joined the UFC. “I liked it,” Freire said. “It’s always good when the fighters are remembering your name and have your name in mind.” He even joked that the featherweight division has been too quiet. This all-action featherweight clash sits directly in the middle of the main card, available on Paramount+.
High Stakes, Big Bonus
Rumors about this being the last fight of Freire’s deal were floating around, but he shot those down on Wednesday. Still, the stakes could not be higher for “Pitbull.” He wants to win this Saturday and prove to the UFC brass that he deserves Dana White’s special “pure chaos” $50,000 bonus. He’s already envisioning it. “(That surprise bonus) sounds good,” Freire laughed. “I think it’s a good deal. Me against ‘Korean Superboy’ is going to be fireworks, I believe. We’re going to win that.” Fireworks, indeed. Let’s see if he can deliver on Saturday and back up that confidence.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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