Patricky "Pitbull" Freire, the lightweight striker who headlines Bellator's first European expansion Saturday against Kevin Souza, had a point to prove back in 2012. When longtime Bellator kingpin Eddie Alvarez publicly declared his intention to let his contract expire and join the UFC, Patricky begged to be the man to send him on his way.
In the midst of his own, he wanted to show he was a company man—loyal, stalwart and deadly. He would avenge Alvarez's betrayal and prove to the promotion, and himself, that he was every bit the fighter his brother Patricio, a former featherweight champion, was.
Instead, everything fell apart. Stalled, leaving him to compete in the biggest fight of his career for a guarantee that would embarrass most UFC rookies. Worse, with just 10 seconds left in the first round, a mistake left him knocked senseless.
His cornermen, already on their feet to discuss changes he could make in the next round, instead came in to console him after his first knockout loss. He left Ontario, Canada with a smashed face, bruised pride and less than $2,000 in his pocket.
"Everything was set up to be something very good and it ended up being a nightmare to me," Patricky told Bleacher Report. "It left me devastated and very unhappy with the organization. Most people actually really think that fighters are all rich and have no idea of the things most of us go through. Thank God I have a great father.
"He was the one who allowed me put food on the table, he also paid for my daughter's school. Every time I was going through tough times he came to my rescue. I didn't want him to do that; I don't like to depend on other people. I only accepted because I was going through a very difficult time. I couldn't afford anything."
Patricky returned to Rio de Janeiro where he had settled with his wife and daughter to build a new life at Team Nogueira. It wasn't easy, though UFC legend Antonio "Minotauro" Nogueira proved a great mentor who even helped when things were particularly dire.
But, separated by a 35-hour car trip from everything he'd ever known, Freire failed to thrive. He didn't see his parents for more than a year. His brother, so often a rival and an inspiration, was training at their home in Natal almost 2,600 kilometers away while he struggled to find his way far from home.
"The training at Team Nogueira was great, the coaches, the sparring partners, but it just wasn't the right environment for him," Patricio said. "Personally, he had gone through some very dark times and he was struggling. To live in Rio costs much more than to live in Natal. He was away from our family and friends, his life wasn't good, he wasn't happy."
Life for Patricky centered around fighting. With no friends, no money and no ties to the community, he focused entirely on his craft. But even in the cage, the struggle just intensified. Misery compounded when Patricky lost his next fight and then injured his knee before a 2013 tournament he expected to vault him right back into contention.
He was broken and broke, without sponsors or immediate relief, spiralling into a depression that made it difficult to get up every morning.
"Some days when you wake up you don't feel like doing anything," Patricky said. "I would go to practice because my wife would ask me to get out off bed, trying to motivate me. I would go, but lacking disposition, lacking desire.
"You feel like telling everyone to f--k off and giving up on everything. Some other days you wake up motivated looking to train hard, get some money and beating up all your opponents from all the rage and frustration piled up. It varies a lot."
After a 2013 fight in Thackerville, Oklahoma, Patricio had seen enough. He demanded his brother return home to Natal. The aggressive fighter who struck fear in opponents' hearts, the one who was forced to ice his hands after fights because he hit so hard was gone. Patricio wanted him back and didn't believe that could happen in Rio.
"I lost my style of fighting; I lost a bit of my roots," Patricky said. "I returned to Natal after my fight with Berto. I didn't even stop in Rio. When I got there my wife and I decided to stay there permanently and I never again returned to my home in Rio after that.
"I only had one bag with me, but I was happy with this happening. I saw my friends that I hadn't seen in a long time, I met my parents who I didn't see for more than a year. I trained with happiness—something that hadn't happen in a long while."
Since returning home, Patricky has amassed a 4-2 record. It's a record that has helped him reestablish his place in the hierarchy after losing three of his previous four as part of Team Nogueira. A knockout win over Ryan Couture reminded the sport who Patricky is. A win in Italy would move him an important step closer to title contention.
"Patricky has such a talent that if he wants to, no one will ever touch him," Patricio said. "He needs to let that monster inside of him out every time, no matter the circumstances. He needs to get up from and dedicate every day like he's preparing for a championship. Training needs to be priority over everything.
"He needs to be open to sacrifice more of his personal life. These are some things he's been working on and I've seen changes already. I believe he's on the right path and when all that becomes natural to him we'll witness something great. He'll certainly become a world champion and I have no doubt he'll be able to accomplish much more than that."
Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report.
