Outside Source
“Pitbull” got out to an early lead on the scorecards, then held on for a three-round verdict over featherweight veteran Dan Ige in a featured featherweight affair at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on Saturday night. It was a much-needed performance after the Brazilian struggled to get going in a loss to Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 this past April.
“That’s a dream come true,” Freire said of his first promotional triumph in a backstage interview with the UFC. “I was a little bit afraid because my opponent is very dangerous. I know he thinks the same about me. He’s a warrior, much respect from me — but I got the victory.”
Because he was consistently involved in title bouts under the Bellator banner, Freire has been forced to adjust to shorter, three-round affairs in his first two Octagon appearances. He was better prepared against Ige, however.
“It’s still difficult, but an opponent like Ige just makes my job easier becomes he comes forward always,” Freire said.
Freire Had to Endure Adversity to Earn First UFC Win
Freire appeared to be in control through 10 minutes, but momentum shifted when “Pitbull” absorbed a knee from his opponent early in the third stanza. Still, the Brazilian was able to regain his bearings and make it to the final horn.
“He landed a knee which made it a little bit difficult, but I had it in my head that I had to just tough it out and take him to the end of the fight,” Freire said.
Now that he has that first UFC victory under his belt, Freire doesn’t want to waste time. He now has his sights set on a showdown with a fellow Bellator veteran — and he’s willing to do so on extremely short notice.
“I have a name in my mind. I want to face Aaron Pico,” Freire said. “He had a fight canceled against [Movsar Evloev] and now he’s free. If he’s good, we can fight next week.”
Pico was scheduled to face Evloev in the UFC Abu Dhabi co-main event next weekend, but Evloev was forced to withdraw from the event due to injury. The promotion reportedly hopes to rebook Evloev vs. Pico for a future card, but no announcement has been made regarding the booking.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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