Patricio Pitbull, known for finishing almost half of his Bellator fights and holding the featherweight title three times in the now-closed promotion, couldn`t bring the same knockout power to his first UFC fight. His Bellator record was impressive, with 24 wins and 6 losses, including 14 wins by stoppage.
In his UFC 314 debut this past Saturday in Miami, the 37-year-old Brazilian fighter lost to Yair Rodriguez by decision. Pitbull felt he could have performed better, saying the beginning of the fight lacked excitement from both fighters, but acknowledged Rodriguez deserved to win.
Pitbull explained that fighting in five-round matches for many years in Bellator might have made him start too slowly in a three-round UFC fight. He admitted it was a mistake not to be more aggressive from the start, but also mentioned he wanted to avoid making errors. He prefers to attack accurately and strategically. Overall, he believes he should have been more proactive and aggressive, but it`s too late to change the past.
Pitbull denied feeling nervous in his first UFC fight. He actually thinks he might have been too relaxed, which could have been a problem. Used to winning in Bellator, Pitbull is determined to change his path in the UFC.
“Now that I’m no longer champion, I need to be the one chasing my opponents,” Pitbull stated. “That’s exactly what I intend to do in my upcoming fights. I have to, and I will.”
Pitbull created a poll on social media asking fans who he should fight next in the UFC. Dan Ige received more votes than Josh Emmett, Aljamain Sterling, and Diego Lopes. Ige also fought in Miami on the same night, winning against Sean Woodson by controversial knockout in the third round, although Ige was ahead on points after two rounds.
“They are all strong contenders, and I think that will be the direction. However, I told the UFC to surprise me,” Pitbull said. “I wanted to start my UFC journey with a win. If I had defeated Yair Rodriguez, I would probably be in the top 5 rankings, and people would be talking about me challenging for the title. Now, I have to aim for the top 15. It`s a bit disappointing, but I understand that’s the necessary step now.”
