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Patricio Freire Expects Title Shot With Emphatic Win Over Yair Rodriguez

Patricio Freire believes he’ll be in the running for a title shot if he makes a statement in his Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

Freire will make his promotional debut against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 on April 12 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The former Bellator MMA featherweight champ believes a good showing against Rodriguez puts him into immediate title contention. While ā€œPitbullā€ acknowledges Rodriguez’s skill set, he believes he’s better than the perennial UFC featherweight contender.

ā€œ[Fighting] against Yair Rodriguez puts me in a great place in this division,ā€ Freire recently told Megan Olivi. ā€œSo if my performance will be good, I believe I’m [fighting] for the title… He’s good, he’s very dynamic but I’m better. I put pressure on him, put him down and smash him. That’s what’s gonna happen.ā€

Freire is currently coming off a stoppage win over Jeremy Kennedy last year that saw him rebound from a two-fight slump. Meanwhile, Rodriguez is coming off a failed title bid against Alexander Volkanovski followed by a submission loss against Brian Ortega.

The UFC featherweight title was left vacant by Ilia Topuria, who is now on a quest for a lightweight title shot. Volkanovski and Diego Lopes will fight for the vacant 145-pound strap at UFC 314.

This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com


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