While most of the talk surrounding Bellator 138 was about main eventers Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock, it was Patricio “Pitbull” Freire that wound up posting the most impressive performance of the night.
The featherweight champ, competing against globetrotting veteran Dan Weichel, scored an impressive come-from-behind knockout win in the second round.
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The first frame saw both fighters timidly paw at one another, with very little excitement to speak of until, in the waning seconds of the round, Weichel clipped Pitbull with a solid punch. The horn would sound and the champ would survive but the damage was apparent as he stumbled back to his corner with his eyes glazed. Weichel would apply heavy pressure to open the second round, but that strategy did not shake out well, as Freire landed a blistering left hook that knocked the challenger out cold.
It’s yet another impressive performance from the Brazilian, who has established himself as one of Bellator’s most exciting fighters and, quite possibly, its top pound-for-pound talent. He owns a career record of 24-2 competing against stiff competition, and is 7-0 over the last two years with five of those wins coming via stoppage. Not only that but absurd comebacks are becoming standard for Freire these days, as he pulled off a similarly epic victory opposite Daniel Straus in January.
Unfortunately, there are very few strong options open for Freire’s next opponent as top contender Georgi Karakhanyan is currently recovering from a torn ACL. However, regardless of who comes next, he has established himself as a must-watch fighter. Here’s hoping he can get a quick turnaround, and post up yet another exciting fight.
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