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After months of mystery, Freire was announced on Wednesday by Dana White as a new UFC featherweight. The former Bellator MMA great will make his new promotional debut at UFC 314 in Miami on April 12, where he will come to blows with former interim beltholder Yair Rodriguez. Full of vim and vigor, “Pitbull” talked to multiple Brazilian YouTube channels on Thursday, revealing details about the negotiation process and where he sees himself in the landscape.
“This guy thought I was old, but my manager was able to convince him on the contrary by recalling that I was born in the same, day, month and year as [Alex Pereira],” Freire explained to “Sexto Round.”
The fighter believed that he was being held out of the promotion because UFC brass did not want him on the roster. When that concern fell away, Freire wanted to hit the ground running, claiming he accepted many challenges offered to him. One name that Freire claimed would not face him was Aljamain Sterling, while the Brazilian also noted that Rodriguez initially turned him down as well. When the option to match him with Steve Garcia did not materialize, Rodriguez was brought back up for consideration.
“I accepted [to fight Garcia], but unfortunately, I wouldn’t have time to [apply for] the work visa, so [the] UFC finally got Yair Rodriguez [to accept] to face me in April,” the former Bellator kingpin later told journalist Laerte Viana.
“It couldn't be a better way to make my Octagon debut,” “Pitbull” remarked. “Fighting [on the main card of a pay-per-view] against such a talented and aggressive striker ranked among the top five, like Yair, in an event where the vacant featherweight title will be decided in the main event.”
Since Freire knows there will be a lot of moving parts to reach the championship picture, even with a win in April, he is paying close attention to possible matchups for him down the line. Suggesting he is one win away from a championship spot, Freire said to Super Lutas he has his sights set on the winner of Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes in the main attraction of UFC 314. He also weighed in on Ilia Topuria's decision to vacate his 145-pound belt, as Topuria was one other name on his list.
“Ilia will reach lightweight, [and he will be] really strong,” the 37-year-old analyzed. “It was the same case as mine when I went to lightweight. Frankie Edgar is another good example. He is smaller than I and dominated [the lightweight] division for many years. Topuria has above average jiujitsu and is an amazing striker. Volkanovski did an even fight with Makhachev, [so] I truly believe Topuria can take the crown of Makhachev.”
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