Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion Patricio Pitbull Friere and his coach “Captain” Eric Albarracin joined MMAWeekly’s Jim “Gries” Grieshaber for an exclusive interview recently in Scottsdale, Ariz., while training at Fight Ready MMA, home of Olympic Gold Medalist and two-division UFC Champ “Triple C” Henry Cejudo.
Pitbull and Captain Eric told Gries about the Bellator Double-Champ’s million-dollar challenge to Dana White to fight and beat any UFC fighter, called out Conor McGregor, and explained why Michael Chandler will be the UFC lightweight champ. Patricio also discussed how he feels headlining Bellator’s first event on its new home on the Showtime Network and more.
Patricio Pitbull Friere’s $1,000,000 challenge to UFC boss Dana White, Conor McGregor or any UFC Fighter
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Here are some excerpts from the interview
On the thought process that Bellator fighters don’t compare to UFC fighters:
Pitbull: “Michael Chandler is representing Bellator in the UFC. He beats, (Dan) Hooker so easily. That shows how good we are and what we can do there. So it’s not about UFC or PFL, it’s about fighters. Everyone deserves that cross-promotion.”
Captain: “We believe Michael Chandler is going to be the next UFC (lightweight) champ. (Patricio) already beat him. It’s not about the UFC, Bellator or PFL. It’s about the fighters.”
On what it’s like for Patricio to train with Cejudo:
Captain: “Pitbull and Triple C, the greatest combat athletes of all time. This is only three or four times in ten years where I’ve had Patricio and Henry together in the same city with the four belts together. It’s a very rare occasion. I feel good inside when these guys are together, because I know that they feed off each other. That’s part of it.”
Pitbull: “Henry teaches me a lot of things that I like to enjoy. He knows what he’s doing. We exchange a lot of information. So, that makes me better.”
Captain: “Patricio and Henry, even in a group full of champions, they’re different. They’re uncommon amongst champions. And that’s what makes these guys, the status they are now, pound for pound goats.”
On Patricio putting up $1,000,000 of his own money to challenge Dana White that he will beat any UFC fighter at 135, 145 or 155 pounds:
Gries: “Who do you want to fight for the million dollars?”
Pitbull: “Conor McGregor. I know I can beat him. So that’s the fight I want.”
Captain: “The original champ-champ versus the reigning champ-champ. The best against the best. Let’s see who comes out on top. We got a million dollars saying it’s going to be Patricio Pitbull. Are you willing to take the bet?”
On Patricio’s plans for 2021:
Captain: “We’re coming after that 145-pound Grand Prix gold. We’re coming after that million dollars. We’re going to cement that pound-for-pound status, and the Bellator goat is willing to put that million dollars that he’s (gonna) win on the line against any featherweight, lightweight in the world.
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Final thoughts:
Pitbull: “Keep watching, you’re (gonna) see a lot of highlights.”
Captain: “We’re here to make history. Remember our name.”
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Patricio Pitbull throws down $1 million challenge to Dana White, Conor McGregor