Patricio Freire sees Brazil vs. Portugal as a heated but respectful MMA rivalry.
UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] waited his turn and he’s finally up.
After an eight-month delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Freire (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA) will step into the cage for his featherweight grand prix semifinal fight against [autotag]Pedro Carvalho[/autotag] at Bellator 252 on Thursday.
“I feel great,” Freire, the Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion, told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “I’m well-prepared for this fight. It’s been a long while. I am prepared to win this fight and get that $1 million and move on in the tournament.”
Across major online sportsbooks, Freire recently opened as a massive favorite, as high as 9-to-1 (according to BestFightOdds). While Freire thinks he’s the better fighter, he sees the odds as a bit disrespectful to his opponent Carvalho (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA).
“I don’t like that at all,” Freire said. “I know that this guy is young. He’s hungry. He’s coming. He’s really hungry for this title. He’s Conor McGregor’s teammate at SBG. That is a well-prepared team so I am expecting the best possible fighter on the other side but prepare to be killed. Prepare to be eliminated from the tournament.”
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The elimination will be a culmination of a career’s worth of work, but in particular, two training camps for the same fight. Freire and Carvalho were supposed to fight at Bellator 241 in March but the event was canceled hours prior to the scheduled start time due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“You can always find something even all the way up to the day of the fight, whether it’s a technique or a strategy that you can improve upon,” Freire said. “We’re ready to show that the strategy we’ve had is basically the same. Not too much has changed. The strategy is to go in there and execute Pedro.”
Since their pairing first became known in September 2019, Freire and Carvalho have exchanged words in person and on social media. Despite the rivalry that a fight between Portugal and Brazil brings, Freire sees a silver lining of respect, too.
“He did what he had to do,” Freire said. “He’s selling the fight. He’s got to sell the fight. He’s got to sell himself. Portugal and Brazil have a history but we’re brothers and sisters. They are very passionate people, especially about MMA – just as Brazilians are passionate about MMA.
“I’m sure that on Thursday night, Nov. 12, he goes in there 100 percent and I have to do my job. I’m a professional fighter and my job is to go in there and eliminate him. That’s what I’m prepared to do. Don’t miss this fight.”
Bellator 252 takes place Thursday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.
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