Bellator double champion Patricio Freire sees multiple possibilities in his future after beating Michael Chandler at Bellator 221.
The new double champion on the block, Patricio Freire, envisions many future endeavors after knocking out Michael Chandler at Bellator 221, in Rosemont, Illinois.
After a long and anticipated match, ‘Pitbull’ revealed to Bloody Elbow he was eager to finally have a crack at Chandler and could not be happier with result, a quick knockout win in the opening minute of the fight. So much so that Freire considered winning the lightweight belt as a mere consequence of focusing on defeating his opponent.
“There was no outcome better than that one. It was a strike that I saw in my mind and I knew that would work. Winning my second belt wasn’t even in my goals. I didn’t think about it. My complete focus was on Michael Chandler. The belt was just a consequence.”
Although some pundits did believe the stoppage to be a little earlier for their liking, Pitbull begs to differ. In his opinion, it was clear that Chandler was unconscious for a short period, but does not mind having a rematch, if Bellator demands it, since Freire believes there is no chance for Michael to defeat him.
“Everyone who knows anything about fighting knows he was knocked down and stop reacting for a few seconds when he was on the ground. When that happens, the rules are clear, the fight must be stopped. He showed no reactions for a second or two and was completely unconscious. When he started to move again, the ref had already waved off the fight. Regardless of what happens, though, we can have a rematch, no problem. I’ll beat him 11 times out of 10.”
When questioned about a possible move to the UFC to test himself in the largest MMA promotion in the world, Freire brushed it off by saying he felt comfortable in Bellator, but would take a one-time deal superfight against of the UFC’s champions.
“I’m very comfortable in Bellator. It would be interesting to have superfight between a Bellator champion and an UFC champion. I wouldn’t have to necessarily migrate to the UFC. We could just have one duel. When it comes to the best fighters in the UFC, I think I’m better than all of them.”
With the win over Michael Chandler, Patricio Freire (29-4) reached a four-fight winning streak, with wins over Emmanuel Sanchez, Daniel Weichel, Daniel Straus and Chandler himself. The 31-year-old’s last loss happened in August 2016, when he lost to Benson Henderson via TKO due to a leg injury.