Tag: Bellator 252

Bellator 252 highlights: Patricio ‘Pitbull’ defends with big knockout

Check out the video highlights from Bellator 252 on Thursday in Uncasville, Conn., where Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Yaroslav Amosov and Emmanuel Sanchez won the main card.

Check out the video highlights from Bellator 252 on Thursday in Uncasville, Conn., where Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, Yaroslav Amosov and Emmanuel Sanchez won the main card.

Aaron Pico reflects on bounce-back year after sensational Bellator 252 KO

Aaron Pico’s spectacular knockout of John DeJesus made for a fitting conclusion to his turnaround year.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag]’s outstanding 2020 in the cage closed out with a picture-perfect overhand right which connected for a sensational knockout of John DeJesus in the second round of their Bellator 252 featherweight fight.

It was the sort of technique that comes from working with world-class striking coach Brandon Gibson of Jackson Wink MMA. To end the year on such a note made for a fitting finish, one in which he immersed himself in the ways of the famed New Mexico gym and pulled his career back on track.

“I’m very happy team with the team that I have now,” Pico said. “Win, lose, or draw, honestly, Albuquerque’s a great home for me.”

[lawrence-related id=565612,565610,565608]

A year ago, the Los Angeles native was 4-3 and already being proclaimed a bust in some corners. But Pico (7-3 MMA, 7-3 BMMA) knew he had to adapt, and Jackson’s turned out to be exactly the change of environment he needed.

“I feel like I’m having fun again and I feel like when I was a kid wrestling, I was so close to my coaches,” he said. “MMA is a little different because of course it’s a business, of course you get paid … but with them, I feel like it’s not a business, it feels like they care for me and love me, and it makes the walk all that much better knowing they’re behind you win, lose, or draw.”

Undoubtedly this feeling came into play this fight week, as his DeJesus tried to play mind games with Pico at the host hotel.

“In the beginning of fight week he was just walking around the lobby very cocky, maddogging me and my coaches by himself, going up to my coach and shaking his head like ‘it’s on.’ For me I just stay in my lane and be professional, and do what I have to do, so it just kind of rubbed me the wrong way.”

Pico’s losses came when he was goaded out of his game plan, but he didn’t let that happen this time.

“One thing that (coach) Greg (Jackson) always tells me is to stay in the process. Not too high, not too low, just right in middle. I knew he was going to be taunting me in the fight, so my intstructions in the fight were to just be like (Georges St-Pierre), whatever he does or whatever he says in there, just stay clam. I actually think I broke in there because he said ‘are you tired?’ and I said ‘no.’ He actually pulled me out of the process a little bit. But then I remembered to be like GSP.”

With that, Pico went 3-0 in 2020, with all three wins coming inside two rounds. He can’t make any promises as to what 2021 might bring, but

“I don’t really think about the past anymore,” Pico said. “There might be losses in the future I don’t know. But I’m going to take my wins and I’m going to enjoy them as much as I can. I know what its like to lose and I (expletive) hate that feeling. That’s why I’m in the gym working hard every day. I know what it’s like to lose and I don’t want to feel that anymore.”

[vertical-gallery id=565871]

Twitter reacts to Patricio Freire’s KO of Pedro Carvalho to defend title at Bellator 252

See the top Twitter reactions to Patricio Freire’s title defense against Pedro Carvalho at Bellator 252.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] continued to hold his place as the top featherweight in Bellator on Thursday when he defended his title against Pedro Carvalho in the Bellator 252 headliner.

Freire (31-4 MMA, 19-4 BMMA) defended his 145-pound belt against Carvalho (11-4 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) by first-round knockout in the main event matchup, which also served as a quarterfinal contest in the promotion’s ongoing grand prix tournament. The fight took place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Freire’s title defense against Carvalho at Bellator 252.

Bellator 252 results: Patricio Freire blasts through Pedro Carvalho in short order

The featherweight champ retained his belt and moved on to the tournament semifinals.

[autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] doesn’t get paid by the hour.

Bellator’s lightweight and featherweight champion put his latter belt on the line Thursday night against [autotag]Pedro Carvalho [/autotag] in a matchup that doubled as a Bellator grand prix quarterfinal bout. And he wasted little time getting the job done, earning the knockout at 2:10 of the opening round at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

With the win, “Pitbull” moves on to the semifinals to meet Emmanuel Sanchez, who earned a unanimous decision over Daniel Weichel earlier on the evening’s main card.

SBG Ireland’s Carvalho (11-4 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) was touted for his ground game, but Freire (31-4 MMA, 19-4 BMMA) scored an early takedown, got Carvalho to the mat, and worked for chokes from Carvalho’s back.

Carvalho scrambled back to his feet, but the end was near. Freire blasted Carvalho with a right hand, then dropped him with a second ferocious right. Referee Mike Beltran immediately waved things off.

“He’s tough, and I respect that,” Freire said of Sanchez. “Now he’s more dynamic. I look forward to the fight.”

[lawrence-related id=565610,565608,565755]

The victory was Friere’s 19th Bellator victory, which is a promotional record. It was his sixth consecutive win, his fourth successful title defense, and his 22nd career finish.

Carvalho had a six-fight winning streak snapped.

Complete Bellator 252 results:

[vertical-gallery id=565489]