Press Release – CHICAGO, Ill. (January 31st, 2011) — After suffering the first loss of his professional career in the Bellator Season 2 Featherweight Tournament Finals against World’s #2 ranked Featherweight and Bellator World Champion Joe Warren following a string of thirteen professional victories, Patricio “Pitbull” Freire is ready to step back into the cage on his quest to earn a rematch with Warren later this year. Beginning in March, Freire will join already confirmed participants Wilson Reis, Daniel Straus, Georgi “Insane” Karakhanyan, Zac George, Kenny Foster, and Eric Larkin in the Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament, airing LIVE on MTV2.
“Patricio Pitbull is a great fighter. He was seconds away from beating one of the top two Featherweights on earth and that loss was his only defeat as a professional. I know that his sole focus is winning this tournament and earning the opportunity to avenge his loss to our Champion Joe Warren. He’s going to be fun to watch fight this season,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney.”
Residing and training out of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, MMA played a key role in Freire’s childhood, as the dynamic featherweight began his formal training at just 14-years-old alongside his brother Patricky “Pitbull” Freire – together the pair are commonly known in the MMA world as “The Pitbull Brothers”. After becoming a 2-time International Kickboxing Champion, a Brazilian Cup Jiu-Jitsu Champion, and a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, “Pitbull” made his way into the cage. Currently training daily with the likes of fellow world class Brazilians Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Anderson Silva, and Junior dos Santos, Freire is constantly surrounded by many of the best in the sport and plans to use that experience to his benefit in the upcoming Bellator Season 4 Featherweight Tournament.
“I have no interest besides fighting as a professional,” said Freire. “It’s the only thing I really want to do. Every day in my life I am looking to overcome myself and evolve into a better fighter. I never believe that I am good enough. It’s all about improvement, every single day.”
Prior to his split decision defeat at the hands of current Bellator World Featherweight Champion Joe Warren, Patricio began his professional career with a spotless 13-0 record, including notable wins over Bellator veterans William Romero (Watch Here: http://bit.ly/iawNSu) and Wilson Reis. Now with a second chance at achieving his dream to become the Bellator World Featherweight Champion, Freire completely understands the significance of what is at stake.
“The time to show what I am all about is coming,” said Freire. “To win this tournament would mean a dream coming true. I can honestly say that I am more confident for this season than I was last year. Last year I got close, this year it’s mine!”
For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator
About Bellator Fighting Championships
Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator’s founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships’ executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations.
About MTV2
MTV2 is a man’s best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.