Patricky Freire Confirmed for Bellator LW Tourney

Friday, February 11, 2011

By FCF Staff

Bellator has announced that another “Pitbull” will compete in the promotion’s fourth season, as Patricky “Pitbull” Freire, brother of featherweight competitor Patricio, has been confirmed for the upcoming lightweight tournament. The competition will get underway in March and will be broadcast live on MTV 2.

“We’ve had our eye on Patricky for quite some time now, and it’s great to have both “Pitbull Brothers” fighting under the Bellator banner,” said Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney in a press release from the promotion.

Freire competed for the first time since 2007 last year and went 3-0. The BJJ black belt and Team Nogueira fighter is coming off a unanimous decision win over Yure Machado at an Arena Gold event last July. Freire has put together a record of 7-1 since he began fighting professionally in 2005.

“I’m very anxious to show fans in the United States what I'm capable of,” said Freire, who in addition to being a decorated jiu-jitsu competitor in Brazil, has won state championships in boxing and kickboxing. “Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to fight at a really high level, and now I will with Bellator. I have always trained and fought very hard, and now it's time to test myself in deeper waters.”

Freire joins Ferrid Kheder, Rob McCullough, Carey Vanier, Michael Chandler, and Lloyd Woodard as confirmed fighters for the lightweight tourney, which will see the winner earn $100,000 and a bout with lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.