Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Says He Wasn’t at His Best for Usman Nurmagomedov Fight, Hopes for Rematch in GP Final

Patricky “Pitbull” Freire confessed that some things in his training camp didn’t go well before facing Usman Nurmagomedov in November.

Former Bellator MMA 155-pound titleholder Freire (24-11, 15-9 Bellator) is eager to bounce back on track after suffering a stinging defeat at the hands of Nurmagomedov at Bellator 288, where he lost the championship via unanimous decision. In his next assignment, he’s taking on former 145-pound champion A.J. McKee in the upcoming Bellator MMA vs. Rizin crossover event on July 29. This bout will also be part of the Bellator lightweight grand prix, where the winner receives a $1 million prize and takes home the divisional belt. While money is good, Freire emphasized that winning the belt meant more to him than the monetary reward. The eldest of the Freire brothers and Nurmagomedov are on different sides of the bracket, but Freire believes they’ll meet again in the final. This time, he’s sure injuries won’t prevent him from being at his best in front of the rival.

“I had a very serious injury last year, and I had to postpone two fights. I was supposed to fight early in the year, and I had to postpone, then in the middle of the year, and I had to postpone it again. I had to pull out of the fight, actually. I ended up fighting Usman in November, but I still wasn't recovered. I just took that fight because I was the champion, but I wasn't defending my belt, and I felt that my position was threatened, that they could vacate the belt if I didn't defend it at that time. I was at 50 percent of my capacity. I wasn't training properly. These injuries limited most of the things that I could do in practice, I couldn't sleep well, and because I couldn't sleep well, I couldn't train well, and the cycle went on and on and on. It's not that I'm taking things away from Usman. He's a great fighter. He deserves all my respect, but it's the truth. I just wasn't at my best. I was in a very bad shape back then."

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro
(00:43) Preparing in Japan for his next fight
(01:07) Training with Mikuru Asakura
(01:39) His relationship with Japanese fans
(02:37) Coping with media attention during training camp
(03:49) Facing McKee
(04:49) Taking part in the Bellator lightweight grand prix
(05:43) Losing to Nurmagomedov
(09:57) Hoping to face Nurmagomedov in the tournament’s final
(10:39) Outro