Lightweights Eddie Alvarez, Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire to Meet at Bellator 76 in October

Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney announced Monday that former champion Eddie Alvarez and onetime tournament finalist Patricky “Pitbull” Freire will clash Oct. 12 at Caesars Windsor Hotel and Casino in Windsor, Ontario. No other matchups have been revealed for the card, which is expected to be Bellator 76.

Alvarez, 28, is attempting to rescale the lightweight ladder after losing his Bellator title in a hard-fought November submission defeat against Michael Chandler. The Philadelphia native got back on track in April with a sizzling first-round stoppage of Japanese ace Shinya Aoki, a win which also saw Alvarez avenge his only loss since 2007. The October bout will be the last on Alvarez’s current Bellator contract.

Freire will compete for the first time since a disappointing exit from Bellator’s Season 6 lightweight tournament. After reaching the final round of the promotion’s fourth-season tourney, the Brazilian was eliminated in the opening round of the latest bracket by Lloyd Woodard. The 26-year-old holds a 3-2 record in the Bellator cage, with all three wins by way of knockout.