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Bellator
Bellator Champ Patricio "Pitbull" Freire rants about people writing him off, believes he'd beat UFC Champ Jose Aldo
Jul 6, 2015 - 10:20:37 AM
Bellator Champ Patricio "Pitbull" Freire rants about people writing him off, believes he'd beat UFC Champ Jose Aldo
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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

While the UFC's featherweight division has been the big topic over the last several weeks, there's a 145 lb. fighter outside of the organization who thinks he's getting short-changed in the world rankings.

Bellator Featherweight Champion Patricio "Pitbull" Freire believes he's the best featherweight in the world not named Jose Aldo, but he also believes he'd beat the UFC Champion if given the chance. In a lengthy statement released over the weekend, Freire argued his spot in the overall field and explained why he's tired of the bias towards UFC fighters dominating the conversation.

Here's what Freire had to say (via MMAFighting.com):

"I'm at the top. You can rank Aldo and no one else ahead of me right now. But not for long. I'm positive I'd beat Aldo. Some of the guys people say would beat me I just shake my head and ask myself if they're serious. Look, I have 26 fights, should be 26-0. I have been dominant in 90 percent of those. I haven't been fighting scrubs. Ever since I began I fought the toughest guys that they could put in front of me. Now because of my last two fights people want to write me off? Fights that I won, by the way.

Fedor was rocked by Fujita, he was suplexed by Randleman, Floyd Mayweather was rocked by Shane Mosley. There are so many examples of things like this happening in combat sports. How many comebacks has "Minotauro" been known for? If you think making a comeback and overcoming adversities is a signal of weakness you couldn't be more wrong.

It's not over until the fat lady sings. An unbreakable mind is what makes great fighters. No one can break me. The only way to stop me is to completely finish me. As long as I can move my legs and my hands I'll be fighting and looking for a way to win. There are so many guys who lose fights because they get rocked and in their mind they just want to survive. We've seen some champions take one punch and let their opponents take over the fight and their belts. I'm not like that. And being like me is something rare these days.

I see people talking about some top 10 UFC guys like they're gods yet I don't see anything special. There are guys there who can't take a punch, with limited grappling, limited striking. Yet people say they can beat me. They think they can beat well rounded guys like Straus, Curran and Weichel.

I believe I would beat every one of them, I also have the skills and ability to beat Aldo. It would probably be a war and both of us would end up hurt because neither would back down, but my hand would be raised.

Bellator fighters can have success in the UFC as UFC fighters can have success on Bellator, most times it's all about match-ups. Everyone called the WEC lightweight guys cans and yet the two champions before Rafael dos Anjos were from the WEC. His next title challenger is from the WEC. Frankie Edgar, who was the UFC lightweight champion, wasn't able to capture the featherweight belt and is behind Aldo and Chad Mendes on the rankings.

You have to analyze us by our skills, not just where we're fighting. People said Cain would destroy Werdum and Rafael had no chance at Pettis. What happened in those fights? They were on the same organization, yet people were completely wrong.

If Bellator was the number one promotion, we'd be the top fighters and if anyone said a UFC fighter could become champion at Bellator people would laugh the same way they laugh when there's talks about a Bellator fighter becoming UFC champion.

The combined record of my opponents to date is 431-156-1, 4 no-contests. When I fought them it was 268-60-1, 4 no-contests. Aldo's 378-170-6, 2 no-contests and 258-99-5, respectively. We both have 26 fights. I have 18 finishes, he has 16 finishes. I have two highly controversial losses by split decision, he was finished once. How can you talk about the different level of competition at this stage, especially when all the time I see people talking about some fighters signed by the UFC not deserving their spot? Sure there is more depth in the UFC as they have much more fighters. It doesn't mean the top guys outside can't compare to the top guys there. Just look at McGregor, the guy suddenly appeared and is now fighting for the title. There's life and talent outside the UFC. Guys equally talented or with more talent.

I don't think this perception of fighters from a certain organization being better will ever change, but one thing I can say for sure: you can never count me out of a fight, against anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances. I'm a small guy slaying giants and I’ll keep doing so. One day you all will have to recognize me. What I did, how I did it, and everything that comes after. My history at the top is just beginning."


Penick's Analysis: While Freire makes a somewhat coherent argument regarding the combined records of their respective opponents, that doesn't tell the whole story either. Because what's missing in that analysis is the level of opponent they were facing. Pitbull may have beaten several fighters with a number of wins and minimal losses, but who did those fighters beat as compared to someone like Chad Mendes or Frankie Edgar or any of the other names Aldo has felled during his reign as Champion. That's not to say Freire hasn't beaten good fighters during his career, far from it, and there is some parity in the featherweight fields of both organizations. However, until Freire gets a chance to fight the names in the UFC's top ten and prove his superiority, it'll be impossible for him to claim the throne as the top name in the division. That's just a reality. I'm not sure what exactly brought about the rant this weekend, and I'm not sure who is writing him off because he's an excellent fighter, but the current reality of the division in both organizations means the UFC's side will retain the attention.


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