Tag: Patricio Pitbull

Patricio Pitbull Sets Sights On Former UFC Featherweight Champion Following Long-Awaited PFL Release

Patrício Pitbull is now officially a free agent after being granted his release from the PFL. The Bellator featherweight champion has been very vocal about wanting to leave the promotion in recent months after a breakdown in communications with the promotion and he has finally been granted his wish. The Brazilian is a legend of […]

Patrício Pitbull is now officially a free agent after being granted his release from the PFL. The Bellator featherweight champion has been very vocal about wanting to leave the promotion in recent months after a breakdown in communications with the promotion and he has finally been granted his wish.

The Brazilian is a legend of the Bellator promotion but with that brand now officially dead, he realizes that he doesn’t have long left to tick off some bucket list items in his career. At 37-years old, he has recently spoken about dreaming of getting to fight in the UFC before he hangs up the gloves for good.

As a 30-fight veteran in Bellator with the most fights, wins and finishes in the history of the promotion, it didn’t ever look like we would see him step inside the Octagon but that is quite clearly the destination which he hopes to arrive at in the coming days, weeks or months. In fact, shortly after PFL founder Donn Davis announced the news that Pitbull would be parting ways with the promotion, the Brazilian had already set his sights on a potential opponent.

It appears that whilst he has spent a lot of time talking about a move to lightweight coming sooner rather than later, UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will face former champ Alexander Volkanovski in a rematch which he agreed to after being joined in the cage by “The Great” following his win over Max Holloway last October. Given the fact that Pitbull is towards the end of his career, it makes sense for him to jump in at the deep end against the best 145-pounders that the UFC has to offer.

If the rematch doesn’t take place in the near future for whatever reason, Pitbull would like to share the cage with Volkanovski in a dream fight that no one would have seen coming several years ago.

Patricio Pitbull Calls Out Francis Ngannou Over PFL Deal Dilemmas: ‘Will You Ever Speak Up for Us?’

Patricio Pitbull Calls Out Francis Ngannou Over PFL Deal Dilemmas: 'Will You Ever Speak Up for Us?'Free at last, free at least. Patricio Pitbull is free at last. And he’s got a few parting words…

Patricio Pitbull Calls Out Francis Ngannou Over PFL Deal Dilemmas: 'Will You Ever Speak Up for Us?'

Free at last, free at least. Patricio Pitbull is free at last. And he’s got a few parting words for the PFL and its top star, Francis Ngannou.

A day after Ariel Helwani broke the news that the Bellator brand would no longer be used by the Professional Fighters League, the promotion announced that it had officially released the most decorated fighter in the now-defunct organization’s history.

After news of Pitbull’s departure from the PFL started making the rounds, the former two-division champion absolutely shredded PFL co-founder Donn Davis and the sketchy business practices of a company that claims to always put fighters first.

“[PFL] is cutting a bunch of fighters and forcing others to take pay cuts of up to 70%,” Pitbull posted on X. “No respect for fighter contracts and what they’ve accomplished… The self-called fighters first organization is also changing its contracts so it’s almost impossible for fighters to be free agents and to leave on free agency.

“Also tying down fighters payments for many years and taking away all their leverage… The self-called co-leader in MMA is ghosting some fighters/ managers and leaving them with no answers while the owner makes silly and disrespectful posts on social media.”

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Patricio Pitbull calls for Ngannou’s help in building a fighter’s union

Pitbull also took aim at Ngannou, who signed a ground-breaking deal with the PFL in mid-2023 making him one of the highest paid fighters in all of mixed martial arts. ‘The Predator’ was also added to the promotion’s global advisory board to advocate for the best interest of every fighter on the roster.

“Hey @francis_ngannou are you aware of all the absurd things PFL is doing to fighters and putting on the new contracts?” Pitbull wrote. “Will you ever speak up for us? I’m thinking it’s time we start a PFL Fighters Union. What do you think?”

While Pitbull has been granted his outright release from the PFL, Pitbull later noted that the promotion still retains matching rights, meaning that the PFL could match any offer he receives from a rival promotion, thus re-signing him.

Patricio Pitbull Freire holds two Bellator titles

PFL Founder Grants Patricio Pitbull His Release After Months Of Public Complaints

The leading star brought over to the PFL when it acquired Bellator MMA will not be part of the promotion’s future. Patricio Pitbull, who entered the year holding the Bellator featherweight title, has officially been released by the Professional Fighters League (PFL), bringing an end to his tumultuous saga with the organization. Alongside another Bellator […]

The leading star brought over to the PFL when it acquired Bellator MMA will not be part of the promotion’s future.

Patricio Pitbull, who entered the year holding the Bellator featherweight title, has officially been released by the Professional Fighters League (PFL), bringing an end to his tumultuous saga with the organization.

Alongside another Bellator champ in Patchy Mix, Pitbull has been publicly criticizing the PFL and calling for his release for the past few weeks and months. He’s berated the promotional higher-ups for allegedly not honoring contracts and refusing to give him the level of activity he wants.

The Brazilian’s latest social media tirade came earlier today. After accusing the likes of PFL founder Donn Davis and CEO Peter Murray of ‘ghosting’ him and his issues, Pitbull even called for PFL star Francis Ngannou to get involved and stick up for the rights of fighters.

Pitbull’s posts evidently did not fall on deaf ears this time around, with Davis announcing in his own post on X that Pitbull has been granted his release.

“We are releasing @PatricioPitbull,” Davis wrote. “@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 news comes a day on from the emergence of big news regarding the PFL in 2025.

After a difficult first year post-acquisition, the promotion has taken the decision to dissolve the Bellator brand. It’s unclear what that will mean for the current titleholders, with Corey Anderson and Johnny Eblen among those to question their status on social media.

It’s no secret where Pitbull sees his future, meanwhile. During his final days under the PFL banner, the Brazilian legend was clear in outlining his plans to join the UFC. And with the decorated Bellator great now a free agent, the ball appears to be in the MMA leader’s court.

Bellator Champ Calls For Francis Ngannou’s Intervention As Gripes With PFL Continue: ‘Will You Ever Speak Up For Us?’

The mounting discontent among Bellator fighters signed under the PFL banner has reached a fever pitch, prompting a reigning champion to call on Francis Ngannou to step in. The PFL finalized its takeover of Bellator MMA in November 2023, allowing it to operate as a distinct entity and enabling its roster of fighters to transition […]

The mounting discontent among Bellator fighters signed under the PFL banner has reached a fever pitch, prompting a reigning champion to call on Francis Ngannou to step in.

The PFL finalized its takeover of Bellator MMA in November 2023, allowing it to operate as a distinct entity and enabling its roster of fighters to transition seamlessly under the PFL spotlight.

After a difficult first year post-acquisition, it was reported by Ariel Helwani this week that the Bellator name has officially been consigned to history. It will now be rebranded as the PFL Champions Series, a platform dedicated exclusively to title bouts for the PFL’s newly established divisional championships.

Amid recent developments, a cloud of uncertainty has settled over several Bellator champions, including Patricio Pitbull and Corey Anderson. Both have been vocal critics of the PFL for some time, accusing the budding MMA promotion of failing to uphold the terms of their original contracts while taking pointed jabs at its management.

Pitbull has persistently called out top-tier PFL executives, including Donn Davis and Peter Murray, on social media, demanding his release from the promotion. He points to the alleged lack of clarity regarding his fighting future and the scarce opportunities offered to him since the merger.

The reigning Bellator featherweight champion recently took to X, once again venting his frustration with the organization amid the ongoing turmoil. In a series of fiery posts, Pitbull accused the PFL of ruthlessly cutting fighters from its roster and “forcing” others into accepting massive pay cuts.

He further claimed that the organization is manipulating contracts, making it nearly impossible for fighters to become free agents and pursue opportunities elsewhere.

“Self called co-leader in MMA and fighters first organization is cutting a bunch of fighters and forcing others to take pay cuts of up to 70%. No respect for fighter contracts and what they’ve accomplished,” Pitbull wrote on X.

The 37-year-old Brazilian went a step further, calling on the PFL’s biggest star and reigning Super Fights Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou to use his influence to address the ongoing issues and stand in solidarity with those caught in the crossfire.

“Hey Francis Ngannou are you aware of all the absurd things PFL is doing to fighters and putting on the new contracts? Will you ever speak up for us? I’m thinking it’s time we start a PFL Fighters Union. What do you think?”

Pitbull has been absent from the cage since March 2024, when he defended his featherweight title with a stunning third-round knockout of Jeremy Kennedy at the Bellator Champions Series in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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Ex-UFC Fighter Slams PFL’s Lackluster Matchmaking: ‘They Don’t Know What They’re Doing’

Ex-UFC Fighter Slams PFL's Lackluster Matchmaking: 'They Don't Know What They're Doing'While they’re technically the second-biggest fight promotion in the United States, the PFL has a long way to go…

Ex-UFC Fighter Slams PFL's Lackluster Matchmaking: 'They Don't Know What They're Doing'

While they’re technically the second-biggest fight promotion in the United States, the PFL has a long way to go before earning respect from both fans and fighters.

In November 2023, the Professional Fighters League made a big splash in the world of MMA by buying Bellator, a fledgling organization that had introduced the world to Eddie Alvarez, Michael Chandler, the Pitbull brothers, Michael ‘Venom’ Page, and many more. Anyone signed to Bellator at the time of the merger was immediately folded into the PFL roster.

That includes current Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey ‘Overtime’ Anderson.

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A former Ultimate Fighter winner, Anderson captured his first world title in March after scoring a unanimous decision victory over Karl Moore at Bellator Champions Series 1 in Belfast to claim the 205-pound belt. Since then, ‘Overtime’ has been left in limbo waiting for the powers that be in the PFL to decide when or if he’ll fight for them again.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Anderson didn’t hold back while talking about the PFL’s lackluster leadership and their lack of knowledge about the fight game.

“With Donn [Davis] and Pete [Murray], I don’t know what their plans are,” Anderson said. “At the same time, from the outside looking in it looks like guys that haven’t really spent much time in fighting, so they don’t really know what they’re doing at the moment. They’re trying to make business moves. They’re good at Wall Street-type stuff and stocks and making money. But that’s a different game to the fight game, so I don’t know their plans.”

Donn Davis is the co-founder of chairman of the Professional Fighters League while Pete Murray serves as the promotion’s CEO.

Corey Anderson isn’t the only fighter frustrated by the PFL’s decision-making

Corey Anderson isn’t the only PFL fighter frustrated over the lack of direction. In November, Patchy Mix didn’t hold back after the promotion canceled its Bellator Champions Series event in Paris scheduled for November 16. Mix was expected to square off with Leandro Higo at the event.

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“I’ve been training my ass off for the last half of year for nothing,” Mix wrote on X. “This is frustrating in the prime of my career and I’ve had my fight in November cancelled? Then now again I’m being told I’m off January Dubai card? I am the best in the world and I want to fight to prove it.”

Patricio Pitbull was also left sitting on the sidelines after hoping to compete multiple times in 2024.

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“I haven’t fought since February,” Pitbull posted. “I wanted to fight 3x this year, but I was told I’d have to wait until December 31st and found out online my opponent would fight someone else. Then they had a replacement, I bring people over, spend more money with the camp and there’s no fight.”

For a company that claims to put fighters first, the PFL certainly seems to be doing the exact opposite.