After losing his debut, Patrício Pitbull promises a new version at UFC 318: 'I was very calm'

Patrick Pitbull is the biggest name in Bellator history. Photo: Bellator.

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After years of waiting, Brazilian MMA fans finally got the chance to witness Patrick Pitbull in the UFC octagon. However, the result was far from expectations. The former Bellator champion faced Yair Rodriguez No. UFC 314 and ended up being defeated without posing much threat to his rival. Now, in his second opportunity in the Ultimate, the Rio Grande do Norte fighter promises a very different performance.

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In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Patrício explained that the reason he wasn't as aggressive in his UFC debut was his lack of familiarity with 15-minute fights, having spent years competing in five-round bouts in Bellator. For his next challenge, the Brazilian wants to get the results right from the start.

"I was too calm, and that was my mistake. I fought for the title for 10 years in Bellator, so that's a 25-minute fight. I didn't adapt to that over the three rounds. I started too slow... I want to be more aggressive from the beginning, because in the first two rounds I couldn't," Pitbull explained.

Patrício Pitbull faces Dan Ige at UFC 318

Patrício arrived at the UFC with star status and faced Yair Rodriguez in a duel where the winner could have come very close to a title shot. However, after losing, the Brazilian had to take a step back from his dream of winning the Ultimate title. Determined to get back to winning ways, Pitbull agreed to face the current 14th-ranked fighter in the division, Dan Ige, at UFC 318.

At 38 years old, the fighter from Natal could enter the top 15 in the division if he can defeat the American. The former Bellator champion currently has 36 wins and eight losses in his professional career.

Moreover, Dan Ige tries to get the second victory in a row. After the UFC 314, where he verbally agreed to face Pitbull, the fighter highlighted the importance of having a sports icon on his MMA roster. Signed via Contender Series, the veteran arrived at the organization in 2017 and today has 11 fights with his arm raised, in 19 appearances in the octagon.