Patricio Freire Says Michael Chandler Fighting for the UFC Lightweight Belt Proves How Good He Is

The competition between the UFC and Bellator has been around for as long as both promotions have existed. Fans constantly bicker over which promotion is better. While the UFC has been around for a longer time and arguably has a better depth of talent in all divisions, Bellator MMA is not far behind. This is something that Bellator double champion Patricio Freire believes strongly. 

The double champion returns next month as he takes on Emmanuel Sanchez in a rematch for the 145-pound title, a fight three years in the making. The fight between the two men will also be the semi-final of Bellator’s featherweight tournament with a mind-boggling $1 Million at stake. 

Read: Islam Makhachev interested to fight on the Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier trilogy card 

Patricio Freire does not agree with the rankings in MMA 

In a recent interview, ‘Pitbull’ shared his thoughts on Michael Chandler fighting for the UFC Lightweight belt and what that means for his legacy. 

He said, “Both casual and hardcore MMA fans should understand that what matters is the athlete, not the organization. Many people are blind and only care about the UFC. That’s the wrong way of thinking. The proof is Michael Chandler, coming from Bellator, having such a devastating victory in his UFC debut against a highly ranked opponent. Chandler is just getting started. Seeing how dangerous he can be in the UFC further proves the quality of Bellator’s fighters – and how good a fighter I am”

Freire also gave the reason for his extreme dislike of Michael Chandler. He stated, “My rivalry against Chandler – it was personal. On the same night he defeated my brother, he said he could beat my entire family. I made him pay for his words by knocking him out inside the cage in one minute.”

In their fight at Bellator 221, Patricio stopped Chandler in just a little over a minute. Since then Chandler has had first-round finishes in his next three fights. He takes on Charles Oliveira at UFC 262 in May as he aims to add his name to a list of fighters to have won belts both in Bellator and the UFC. 

Since the number four ranked lightweight in the UFC is fighting for the title and is someone he has beaten in devastating fashion, ‘Pitbull’ is not the biggest fan of the ranking system.