Patricky 'Pitbull' lobbying Bellator to fight alongside brother at July event

Onetime Bellator MMA tournament finalist Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (10-4 MMA, 3-3 BFC) hasn’t fought since October, and he’s anxious to get back to work. And if his employers are willing, the lightweight said he’d love to fight alongside brother Patricio “Pitbull” Freire at next month’s Bellator 97 event.

“I think that me and him on the same card we would be doing a big favor to Bellator,” Freire told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) through an interpreter. “It would be huge for the event and would be a great show for the event. The guys of Esporte Interativo, the Brazilian channel that airs Bellator, are crazy about the idea. I heard they’d even be willing to talk to Bellator, as well.

“It would be huge here in Brazil, and I’m sure the fans around the world would like that, as well.”

The Freire brothers have been mainstays on Bellator cards for the past several years. Featherweight Patricio debuted in 2010 and qualified for the company’s Season 2 tournament final, falling short in a split-decision result to Joe Warren. He bounced back in Season 4, winning that edition of the tournament before losing in a title bid, again falling short in a split decision, this time to champ Pat Curran.

Meanwhile, lightweight Patricky made it to the finals of the company’s Season 4 tournament, where he lost by decision to eventual champ Michael Chandler. He bounced back with a non-tournament win over Kurt Pellegrino but then dropped back-to-back fights to Eddie Alvarez and Lloyd Woodard.

The sting of those losses still eats at Patricky.

“It’s very important for any athlete who competes to get back to meeting the win,” Freire said. “To me, getting another win is of extreme importance. I’m training hard.

“I will always be training hard to never lose, although it doesn’t always happen the way we want.”

Patricky had been expected to compete earlier this year in Bellator’s Season 8 lightweight tournament. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury in training and was forced to withdraw from the field. But now he’s full healed and hopes for a chance to fight again.

“I spent some time doing light training right after the fight with Alvarez,” Freire said. “And as soon as I saw I was ready to fight again I started training strong. I don’t like to not do anything for much time.

“I was supposed to fight in January, but I got injured a little bit more than a week from the fight. It took me almost three months to be OK, but ever since I’ve been training and just waiting for my next fight, whenever that will be.”

Freire doesn’t know when that next fight will take place, as he’s waiting on the promotion to offer up his next assignment. But with eight months on the sidelines, the 27-year-old Brazilian said he’s anxious to show the improvements he’s made. And so why not at Bellator 97, which takes place July 31 at Santa Ana Center in Albuquerque, N.M., Freire asks. He’ll take on any opponent, just as long as he can fight on the same night as his brother.

“I’m willing to fight anyone,” Freire said. “There are a lot of new things I’ve learned these months, and I expect to be able to show it to everyone in the cage soon.

“I know I got injured and that took me out of the tournament, but it’s pretty tough for a fighter to spend so much time away. I’m not suspended, I’m ready and hope to be very active. I would love to fight several times a year, I’m still young and I want to do it while I still can. I’ll be ready whenever Bellator calls me, I would love to have lots of fights before the year ends and be recognized as a top fighter.”

For the latest on Bellator 97, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Patricky “Pitbull” Freire and Patricio “Pitbull” Freire)