Patricio Pitbull’s UFC Debut: A New Chapter for a Bellator Legend
For years, the UFC has been a melting pot of talent from various promotions, and among the most notable imports from the now-defunct Bellator MMA is none other than the legendary Patricio Pitbull. This Brazilian powerhouse, a four-time world champion, is widely regarded as the greatest fighter in Bellator MMA history. As he prepares to make his UFC debut against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314, Pitbull is on a mission to join Eddie Alvarez as the only fighters to hold gold in both Bellator and the UFC.
At 37, Pitbull boasts an impressive resume with Bellator records for most fights (30), wins (24), title fight wins (15), and finishes (15). He is also one of two fighters to hold world titles in two divisions simultaneously, alongside Ryan Bader. But it’s not just his accolades that make him a force to be reckoned with; it’s his fighting style that promises to captivate those who have yet to witness his prowess in the Octagon.
When asked what fans can expect from his debut, Pitbull didn’t mince words. “Violence. Lots of violence,” he told ESPN through a translator. “Three rounds of violence — if I don’t take his head off before that.”
Pitbull’s fighting style is a blend of proficient striking, devastating knockout power, offensive wrestling, and a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His ability to finish fights in various ways, whether through a one-punch knockout or a nasty guillotine choke, has made him a nightmare for opponents. As he steps into the Octagon on April 12, he carries the history of Bellator MMA on his back.
“People are always going to see me as a representative of that organization,” Pitbull said. “Most of my career wins were in Bellator, so there’s a vast history. And with that history comes a lot of baggage. For me, this is a new chapter in my career, and everything is new. But, of course, you can’t erase everything that I’ve done before.”
Despite his accomplishments, Pitbull faces a significant challenge in the UFC, as history has shown that former Bellator champions have struggled to replicate their success in the Octagon. He will be the ninth Bellator champion to fight in the UFC, following in the footsteps of fighters like Ben Askren, Lyman Good, Alexander Volkov, Hector Lombard, Will Brooks, Joe Soto, Zach Makovsky, and Alvarez. The combined record of Bellator champions in the UFC is 30-33, an underwhelming 47.6% win percentage.
- Ben Askren: 1-2
- Lyman Good: 3-3
- Alexander Volkov: 12-5
- Hector Lombard: 3-8
- Will Brooks: 1-3
- Joe Soto: 3-5
- Zach Makovsky: 3-4
- Eddie Alvarez: 4-3
These statistics highlight the challenges that await Pitbull in the UFC. Fighters like Lombard and Askren, who were dominant in Bellator, found themselves neutralized in the UFC. Lombard, for instance, was 8-0 with six finishes in Bellator but struggled in the UFC, going winless in his past seven fights. Askren, who was 18-0 before his UFC debut, ended his brief tenure with a two-fight losing streak.
Pitbull, however, remains undeterred. “There were some people in the UFC that raised questions about my age, but if you look at the weight class, there aren’t many young fighters in the top 15,” he said. Youssef Zalal, 28, is the only ranked UFC featherweight under 30, but Pitbull will be the second-oldest behind 40-year-old Josh Emmett once he steps into the Octagon. Despite the mileage on his body, Pitbull is convinced he has enough in the tank to join Alvarez as the second Bellator fighter to hold UFC gold.
“I will make all of the sacrifices to be at my best. Nobody has the focus that I do,” Pitbull declared. He maintains a strict diet and training regime that allows him to continue performing at a high level. “I always have had the confidence that I am the best featherweight in the world,” he said. “Now I can prove it.”
Alvarez’s UFC tenure didn’t start as planned, with a decision loss to Donald Cerrone in 2014. However, he eventually found his footing, defeating Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis before knocking out Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight title. Although he lost the title to Conor McGregor, Alvarez remembers the pressure of his Octagon debut.
“You could feel that it was the biggest show on earth from the promotion to the fans standing outside the hotel. No one has come close to what [the UFC] do,” Alvarez told ESPN. “It can be overwhelming, but I had fought all over the world 13 years into my career, so I was ready. But I was still trying my best to not make a big deal out of the three letters and remind myself that it was just another fight.”
This pressure, often referred to as “the Octagon jitters,” is something that UFC CEO Dana White has acknowledged. The UFC has a sink-or-swim mentality when matchmaking highly decorated fighters from other promotions for their debuts. Askren fought Lawler, and Alvarez faced Cerrone in their respective debuts.
“Knowing the UFC, they want their fighters to be number one,” said Alvarez, who also admitted that he requested only to compete against the top fighters in the UFC’s lightweight division when he signed with the promotion in 2014. For Bellator MMA’s inaugural lightweight champion, capturing UFC gold was the only thing missing from his lengthy list of accolades. Without it, he believes there would have been an asterisk by his name.
“[The UFC] wants the perception to be that the UFC has the best fighters in the world,” Alvarez said. “The UFC isn’t there to make people like us look good. They sign us because they want the biggest and baddest fighters in the world, but whether they are signing them to do well in their promotion is a different story altogether.”
Like Alvarez, Pitbull didn’t want to waste time and asked to be put in the deep end for his UFC debut. Rodriguez is currently the promotion’s fifth-ranked featherweight and two fights removed from challenging for the 145-pound championship.
It’s certainly no coincidence that Pitbull will compete on a card headlined by former champion Alexander Volkanovski squaring off with Diego Lopes for the featherweight championship. Given the division has more questions than answers following the departure of Ilia Topuria to lightweight, it’s possible a win at UFC 314 could propel Pitbull into the featherweight title picture before the end of the year.
“The UFC hasn’t told me that I’ll get a title fight next, but it makes sense,” Pitbull said. “I’m fighting on the same day that the featherweight division will have a new champion. A win will put me in a great place and that’s what I’m looking for.”
Interestingly enough, a showdown with Volkanovski was once seen as a fantasy fight but now has the potential to become a reality.
“I think [Pitbull] could do quite well [against] the UFC featherweight champion,” trainer Duke Roufus told ESPN in 2023. Roufus trained then-bantamweight Sergio Pettis, who thwarted Pitbull’s attempt to become Bellator’s first three-division champion. “It’s not going to happen, but I’d love to see him and [Volkanovski] fight each other. ‘Pitbull’ is legit. He’s top of the MMA food chain.”
There will be plenty of support coming for Pitbull from fighters who competed for Bellator, including former two-division champion Ryan Bader.
“It’s cool to see Pitbull going over to the UFC and I hope he does well,” Bader told ESPN. “There are people who think that because the UFC is the top promotion, they will beat fighters from every other promotion, and that’s not necessarily true. Opportunities like this are what makes MMA fun.”
He’s not only fighting for himself but also to validate the idea that the best fighters can come from other promotions. If Alvarez justified that Bellator could produce a UFC champion, Pitbull aims to put a stamp on the claims by adding to an already hall of fame career.
“Great fighters come from everywhere,” Pitbull said. “The people who say that all of the best fighters are in the UFC and everyone else is trash don’t know anything about this sport. I know there are fighters from Bellator who will feel represented when the GOAT of Bellator steps into the Octagon.
“I fight for history, legacy and honor. I want to take that belt and prove to myself and everyone else that I’m the best featherweight of all time.”
Originally Written by: Andreas Hale
