Patricio Pitbull states his desire to 'move on' from Bellator and 'fight in the UFC' as he names four huge potential opponents
12/17/2024 04:32 AM
Things aren't looking great for PFL-Bellator; with one of their biggest stars now coming out to not only scorch the promotion but request that he be signed by their biggest rival.
Popular featherweight champion Patricio Pitbull has long been vocal about his desire to be released from his current PFL/Bellator contract – and the 37-year-old already has four massive names in mind as to who could welcome him to the UFC.
Patricio Pitbull speaks on desired Bellator exit, potential signing to the UFC
The iconic featherweight has been demanding that he be released from his current contract for a number of months, citing a lack of interest from the promotion to keep him active.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show last night, the popular featherweight champion chose not to mince his words as he simply acknowledged that "The Bellator that I helped build is no more.
"They even looked like they've changed the name – it's now 'Road To Dubai' – so everything is much different than what it used to be… The history that I made in Bellator was beautiful, but it's a cycle that has come to an end.
"[Bellator] is not the same place anymore, things aren't working like they used to," noted the Brazilian, before reaffirming, "I think we have to move our separate ways, no strings attached."
Should Pitbull be granted his wish to be released from this new-look PFL/Bellator, there's only one destination that makes sense for the 37-year-old.
"Now for me, it's about legacy. I want to fight in the UFC, that is all."
Pitbull believes that the UFC is already interested in acquiring his skills, with Dana White having recently teased that the promotion would be open to welcoming new talent in 2025.
"When Dana White doesn't want someone, he just says no," noted Pitbull: "But when he was asked at a recent press conference, he gave a so-so kind of answer.
"I am sure that when I am free, he will be able to speak more openly."
Later in the interview, which is well worth a listen-through in full, Pitbull would even reveal the four names who he'd love to test himself against.
"My desire is just to walk away. I want to fight different guys; I want to fight Max Holloway, [Ilia] Topuria, Diego Lopes, [Alexander] Volkanovski -all those guys that people said they wanted to see me fight against."
Patricio Pitbull scorches PFL founder Donn Davis over recent admission
PFL Founder Donn Davis recently made headlines when he admitted in a Q&A with MMA Fighting that he doesn't watch fights or pay attention to other MMA promotions.
Those words certainly haven't sat well with Pitbull, who argued that such comments create a sense of insecurity for both fans and fighters.
"Donn Davis is an investor, he's a promoter, but he came out and said he doesn't watch MMA, he doesn't watch the fights. So how can you tell people to watch the fights?
"They didn't keep up with their promises to honor fighter contracts, cut a lot of people. So it creates a sense of insecurity for all of us. There's a lot of things they need to do as a promotion, and I really hope they do. Do something good with the right mindset, but I'm not expecting that."
Pitbull is by no means the only active fighter to be in this position, with bantamweight champion Patchy Mix and light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson also venting their frustration at the lack of communication.
