Relatively new Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Patricio Freire is looking to pay someone back for their harsh words about his previous organization.
Freire (37-8) spoke to Sherdog this week, who explained his current plan as a member of the UFC roster. The former Bellator MMA great has seen mixed results since coming over in 2025, losing in his debut to Yair Rodriguez but outpointing Dan Ige in July 2025 to earn his first UFC triumph.
The ranked featherweight will be returning to the Octagon at UFC 327 in April, where he will face fellow former Bellator 145er Aaron Pico (13-5). The American, on a three-fight win streak, fell short in his own organizational debut in August 2025 when Lerone Murphy smashed him with a spinning back elbow. Despite the crushing knockout loss for Pico, Freire is taking him seriously and gives him credit for his initial performance.
“Pico is a very tough guy,” the Brazilian remarked. “From what I’ve heard, if he had beaten Murphy, he would have had another fight and gone for the belt. He was clearly winning against Murphy when he was knocked out.”
Freire does believe that the first-round knockout will force Pico to go back to his roots of wrestling in order to pick up his first UFC win. Knowing that high-profile crossover athletes may not be given the same grace period as any other signee—Patrick Mix lost twice in the UFC and was released—Freire expects Pico will place himself in the best possible position to get his hand raised.
“He is very explosive, has a very hard hand, but his chin is not proportional to the strength of his fists and usually when he is knocked out, he comes back more of a grappler than a striker. I am prepared for everything,” revealed the former two-division Bellator champion.
He ran away from me
The UFC often asks victorious athletes who they would like to face next, and “Pitbull” is prepared to answer that question in the event he surpasses Pico on April 11 at the Kaseya Center in Miami. He wants a top-five adversary, but not just any name in that range.
“I want to finish this fight quickly and challenge a top five [fighter],” Freire proclaimed. “Probably Aljamain Sterling, who went around saying some nonsense when he claimed that Bellator fighters were humiliated. When, in fact, he ran away from me. When I arrived at the UFC, he said he would fight me, and then made excuses, then the UFC offered me Yair.”
It has not been all sunshine and rainbows for the Pitbull Brothers gym founder, as wrestling coach Eric Albarracin—a resident of Natal, Brazil, since 2023—has suffered a personal tragedy. The vaunted coach’s brother recently died from cancer, and he had to travel back up to the U.S. to attend his funeral and help his family with the related matters. Freire wishes him nothing but the best.
“I send my condolences and deepest sympathies to the captain for this great loss,” he concluded. “May God comfort his heart. We are waiting for him here to finish the camp.”
