Bellator Champion Assures UFC Star He’ll Soon Make the Leap to Dana White’s Promotion

Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire, one of Bellator’s most decorated champions, has had enough of waiting on the sidelines. Frustrated with his lack of bookings and stagnant career, Pitbull has been vocal about his desire to move on, even asking Bellator to cut him loose. Now, it seems he’s ready to make the leap to the UFC. 

UFC welterweight, Gilbert Burns responded to a tweet by a journalist providing an update on Pitbull’s current situation with the PFL and his desire to join the UFC and claimed, 

“That would be amazing to have @PatricioPitbull in the @ufc about time!”

Pitbull reacted to his comment confirming his interest in the UFC and that he would be there soon. He said,

”I’ll be there pretty soon, my friend. Thank you @GilbertDurinho.”

I’ll be there pretty soon, my friend. Thank you @GilbertDurinho https://t.co/n49nND3dYv

— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) December 13, 2024

Freire is clearly done with the chaos at Bellator since PFL took over in late 2023. The featherweight champ has only fought once in the past 13 months, with canceled fights and broken promises piling up.

A planned rematch with Chihiro Suzuki fell through when Bellator’s Japan event was scrapped, leaving Freire sidelined again. He’s fed up with the lack of action and says it’s time to move on.

While proud of his Bellator accomplishments, Freire believes the promotion is struggling under PFL’s management and fears it could spell trouble for fighters outside the UFC looking for solid opportunities.

Dana White reacts to fighters wanting to jump ship

At the UFC 310 post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about Pitbull and his interest in leaving the PFL to join the UFC. Instead of directly addressing whether Pitbull might join his roster, White took the opportunity to throw some shade at the PFL. 

“For months now, all we’ve been hearing about is the PFL,” White said, clearly unimpressed.

“They’re canceling events left and right, fighters aren’t getting fights, and you can see what’s happening—they’re running out of money. When things start falling apart like that, you’re going to have people wanting to jump ship.”

White hinted that Pitbull might not be the only one considering a move, adding,

“These guys just want to fight. If they’re not getting booked, they’ll start looking for other options. We’ll see how it all shakes out as we head into 2025.”

Do note that White’s statements regarding the PFL should be taken with a grain of salt, thanks to his frequent criticisms about any mixed martial arts promotion that is not the UFC.