Patrício Freire

Patrício Freire
Born Patrício Freire
July 7, 1987
Natal, Brazil
Other names Pitbull
Residence Natal, Brazil
Nationality Brazilian
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st)
Division Featherweight
Reach 65.0 in (165 cm)
Fighting out of Natal, Brazil
Team Team Nogueira
Black House
Pitbull Brothers
Rank Black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Years active 2004-present
Mixed martial arts record
Total 25
Wins 23
By knockout 9
By submission 8
By decision 6
Losses 2
By decision 2
Notable relatives Patricky Freire, brother
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Patrício Freire (born July 7, 1987 in Natal, Brazil) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Featherweight division, where he is the current Featherweight Champion. He is the younger brother of Lightweight fighter Patricky Freire. Both brothers often use the moniker "Pitbull", who shared the nickname with another four fighters: Patricky Freire, Andrei Arlovski, Thiago Alves and Bethe Correia.

Freire is currently ranked as the #7 Featherweight by Fight!Magazine and #5 in the World by Fightmatrix as well as the #1 Featherweight outside of the UFC.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Freire began training Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of ten to help fend off the stigma of his size.[1] As a teenager, he trained at the famed Chute Boxe academy alongside notable MMA stars such as Wanderlei Silva and Mauricio Rua.[1]

Freire made his professional MMA debut in March 2004 at the age of 16. For the first five and a half years of his career, he competed in his native Brazil and amassed an undefeated record of 12-0 with all but two wins coming by way of stoppage.

Prior to signing with Bellator, Freire was ranked as one of the top prospects outside of the North American fight scene.[1]

Bellator

After stringing together an impressive undefeated record on the local Brazilian circuit, he made his American debut on April 22, 2010 for Bellator in their Featherweight Tournament.

He won his first round bout defeating Will Romero via first round submission. At Bellator 18 he won his semifinal bout against fellow Brazilian and former EliteXC Featherweight Champion, Wilson Reis.

Freire faced Joe Warren on June 24, 2010 at Bellator 23 in the Tournament Final.[2] Despite nearly finishing the fight in the waning moments of the first round, Freire lost the fight by controversial split decision.

In Bellator Season Four, Friere earned back-to-back third round KOs against Georgi Karakhanyan and Wilson Reis (a rematch of their bout the previous year) to advance to the finals of the Featherweight Tournament. Friere met Daniel Straus in the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament Final at Bellator 45. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

A broken hand suffered in training [2] had halted Freire's rematch with Joe Warren for the Bellator Featherweight Championship.

After a near year and a half lay-off, Freire returned to action at Bellator 85 to face Pat Curran who had defeated Joe Warren to win the Bellator Featherweight Championship at Bellator 60. After a back and forth fight, Freire ended up losing a very close split decision.

Freire was set to face Rob Emerson at Bellator 97, but Emerson was forced out of the bout due to injury and was replaced by Jared Downing. Freire won via KO at fifty-four seconds into the second round.

Freire faced former UFC Featherweight contender Diego Nunes at Bellator 99 in the Quarterfinals of Bellator's Season Nine Featherweight Tournament.[3] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.

Freire faced Fabricio Guerreiro in the semifinals at Bellator 103 and won via unanimous decision.

Freire faced Justin Wilcox in the tournament final at Bellator 108. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.

After being skipped over for his title shot, Freire was expected to finally challenge for the Bellator Featherweight Championship in the long-awaited rematch with Pat Curran on June 6, 2014 at Bellator 121. However, on May 21, it was announced that Curran had pulled out of the bout due to a calf injury.[4] The rematch eventually took place at Bellator 123 on September 5, 2014.[5] Freire defeated Curran by unanimous decision to become the new Bellator Featherweight Champion.

Freire made his first title defense at Bellator 132 on January 16, 2015 against Daniel Straus in a rematch of their bout in May 2011, which saw Freire walk away with a decision victory.[6] Freire won the back-and-forth fight in the fourth round via a rear-naked choke submission.

Freire was expected to defend his Featherweight title against former WSOF Featherweight Champion Georgi Karakhanyan in a rematch at Bellator 138 on June 19, 2015.[7] However, after a torn ACL suffered by Karakhanyan, Freire will instead face Bellator Season Ten Featherweight tournament winner Daniel Weichel at the event.[8]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 23–2 Daniel Straus Submission (rear-naked choke) Bellator 132 January 16, 2015 4 4:49 Temecula, California, United States Defended the Bellator Featherweight Championship.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 22–2 Pat Curran Decision (unanimous) Bellator 123 September 5, 2014 5 5:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States Won the Bellator Featherweight Championship.
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 21–2 Justin Wilcox TKO (punches) Bellator 108 November 15, 2013 1 2:23 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Bellator Season Nine Featherweight Tournament Final
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 20–2 Fabricio Guerreiro Decision (unanimous) Bellator 103 October 11, 2013 3 5:00 Mulvane, Kansas, United States Bellator Season Nine Featherweight Tournament Semifinal
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 19–2 Diego Nunes KO (punches) Bellator 99 September 13, 2013 1 1:19 Temecula, California, United States Bellator Season Nine Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 18–2 Jared Downing TKO (punches) Bellator 97 July 31, 2013 2 0:54 Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 17–2 Pat Curran Decision (split) Bellator 85 January 13, 2013 5 5:00 Irvine, California, United States For Bellator Featherweight Championship
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 17–1 Daniel Straus Decision (unanimous) Bellator 45 May 21, 2011 3 5:00 Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States Bellator Season Four Featherweight Tournament Final
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 16–1 Wilson Reis KO (punches) Bellator 41 April 16, 2011 3 3:29 Yuma, Arizona, United States Bellator Season Four Featherweight Tournament Semifinal
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 15–1 Georgi Karakhanyan TKO (punches) Bellator 37 March 19, 2011 3 0:56 Concho, Oklahoma, United States Bellator Season Four Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal
style="background: #ffdddd; color: black; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="table-no2" |Loss 14–1 Joe Warren Decision (split) Bellator 23 June 24, 2010 3 5:00 Louisville, Kentucky, United States Bellator Season Two Featherweight Tournament Final
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 14–0 Wilson Reis Decision (unanimous) Bellator 18 May 13, 2010 3 5:00 Monroe, Louisiana, United States Bellator Season Two Featherweight Tournament Semifinal
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 13–0 William Romero Submission (heel hook) Bellator 15 April 22, 2010 1 2:01 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States Bellator Season Two Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 12–0 Johnny Iwasaki Submission (guillotine choke) Platinum Fight Brazil 2 December 5, 2009 2 3:27 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 11–0 Vinicius Borba TKO (head kick and punches) Eagle Fighting Championship September 26, 2009 1 1:24 Sao Paulo, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 10–0 Giovani Diniz Submission (kimura) Platinum Fight Brazil August 13, 2009 1 2:20 Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 9–0 Gleristone Santos KO (flying knee) Brazil Nordeste Combat April 2, 2009 1 2:16 Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 8–0 Fernando Vieira Decision (unanimous) Leal Combat: Premium June 5, 2008 3 5:00 Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 7–0 Paulo Mantas Submission (heel hook) Rino's FC 4 September 27, 2007 1 2:21 Fortaleza, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 6–0 Jadyson Costa Submission (rear-naked choke) Leal Combat: Grand Prix July 5, 2007 1 4:34 Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 5–0 Rafael Gargula Submission (armbar) Tridenium Combat April 6, 2006 2 3:05 Fortaleza, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 4–0 Joao Paulo Rodrigues Submission (guillotine choke) Fight Ship Looking Boy 1 September 8, 2005 2 N/A Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 3–0 Tarcisio Jardim KO (punches) Octagon Fight February 24, 2005 2 N/A Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 2–0 Marlon Silva Decision (unanimous) Brazilian Challenger 2 October 21, 2004 3 5:00 Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
style="background:#bfd; color:black; vertical-align:middle; text-align:center; " class="table-yes2" |Win 1–0 Dida Dida TKO (corner stoppage) Desafio: Natal vs. Nordeste March 9, 2004 1 5:00 Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

See also

References

External links