P. Pitbull will attempt his fourth featherweight title defense. Photo: Reproduction/InstagramP. Pitbull (photo) defeated M. Chandler in 2019. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Last man to defeat Michael chandler, the Bellator star, Patrick Pitbull, spoke again about the North American's big debut in Ultimate. Following the former rival's victory over Dan Hooker, UFC 257, the Brazilian praised his former opponent, but didn't miss the opportunity to poke him. In an interview with 'MMA fighting', the potiguar spoke about the subject.
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“The performance of Michael chandler in his UFC debut was incredible. His opponent was great, but I felt he (Hooker) wasn't mentally prepared to face Michael chandler. He gave in to pressure before. A lot of people thought Chandler couldn't handle it, but he ended up getting knocked out,” said Pitbull.
Still analyzing Michael's qualities, Patrício went further and praised the North American's abilities, bringing to the table the characteristics that make his rival a unique athlete. For the Brazilian, Chandler will continue to stand out in the lightweight division (up to 70,3kg.) and could have another great result, if he is selected to face Dustin poirier, current number one in the group ranking.
"I know Dustin poirier is his next opponent, I think he wins with the same ease, in the same way. It will be remarkable as his debut. (…) I'm not going to root for him, but I'm being realistic. I know the damage he can do to the division. He has heavy hands and great wrestling. He is very aggressive. It's difficult to take him down, he has good takedowns. He can face anyone standing up, he has knockout power and good striking. It will be difficult to stop him”, said the double Bellator champion.
All praise is justified in the sequel. For a few months now, Pitbull has been proposing a 'crossover event' between Bellator and UFC. The Brazilian's idea is to clarify which of the competitors has the best lightweight category. With this, the native of Rio Grande do Norte dreams of a show in which two champions from the biggest MMA organizations in the world are paired up.
“If he can do all that, how good am I? Let's do the test. After he becomes UFC champion, let's do 'organization vs organization' and see who is the best in the world. He got kicked out of Bellator by me. He didn’t stay because I kicked him out,” he concluded.
At 33 years old, Patrício is already considered the biggest name in Bellator history. Owner of two belts in different divisions, the Brazilian became the company's star when he beat Chandler, in 2019, in the fight for the lightweight title.
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