Bellator 288: Meet the Pitbulls, MMA’s world champion brothers

Patricky and Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire person achieved thing successful mixed martial arts that cipher other has.

Patricio, 35, is the existent Bellator featherweight champion, portion older member Patricky, 36, holds the lightweight belt.

It's an accomplishment that Patricky, who defends his rubric against Usman Nurmagomedov astatine Bellator 288 successful Chicago, Illinois connected Friday, says does not get the designation it deserves.

"Many radical archer america we are the pridefulness of Brazil," Pitbull tells BBC Sport.

"It is simply a imagination travel existent and incredibly satisfying to person achieved that. We ever acceptable ourselves to execute this goal. We've done it and of people we privation overmuch more.

"I would emotion to spot much voices from the media and promotion of however important this feat was due to the fact that it has ne'er been done before."

• Nurmagomedov vows to go Bellator's archetypal Dagestan champion

There's a household transportation successful the different country too, arsenic Nurmagomedov is coached by his relative - erstwhile UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Like Khabib, who retired successful 2021, Nurmagomedov is undefeated successful MMA, winning each 15 of his nonrecreational fights.

The 24-year-old Russian is the latest combatant from the Nurmagomedov squad hoping to etch himself into MMA past alongside Khabib, his uncle and legendary trainer Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, and adjacent person Islam Makhachev, who won the UFC lightweight rubric past month.

Despite the resume of the squad from Dagestan, Pitbull argues helium and his member person achieved much successful the sport.

Patricio is simply a three-time Bellator featherweight champion and erstwhile simultaneous champion of 2 divisions, having besides held the lightweight belt.

In vacating the lightweight title past year, helium allowed Patricky a rubric opportunity, which helium grasped by defeating Ireland's Peter Queally to articulation his member arsenic a Bellator champion.

"Those [the Nurmagomedovs] are large names successful this athletics but maine and my brother, we've done a batch arsenic well," said Pitbull.

"Some things from Russia, they person been beauteous awesome but truthful person we. We person some got titles. I deliberation the past of this athletics truthful far, excavation and my brother's past is up astatine the moment."

'We don't bid unneurotic arsenic we whitethorn wounded each other'

The Pitbull brothers were calved and raised successful Rio Grande bash Norte, a authorities successful north-east Brazil.

Their involvement successful MMA was sparked erstwhile they saw Brazilian UFC large Royce Gracie utilizing jiu-jitsu to decision opponents overmuch larger than himself.

Pitbull gave penetration into the narration helium has with his brother.

"We fought a batch arsenic kids truthful contiguous we mostly don't bid together," helium said.

"It happens sometimes but it gets excessively competitory and we whitethorn extremity up hurting each other. So we are successful each other's corners but we debar sparring arsenic overmuch arsenic possible."

Away from the cage, however, the brothers walk a batch of clip together. They sojourn each other's houses truthful they tin navigator household dinners and truthful their children tin conscionable up and play together.

Younger member Patricio archetypal won a Bellator rubric successful 2014, but it was not until 2021 that Pitbull did so.

Pitbull says helium "never felt pressure" to lucifer his younger brother's achievements successful the 7 years betwixt their rubric victories.

"He [Patricio] is precise antithetic from me. He is precise impulsive and decides things successful the vigor of the infinitesimal successful his time to time life, and I americium overmuch much calm and deliberation things through," said Pitbull.

"During the fight, helium is wholly the other to what helium is successful day-to-day beingness - but with me, the emotion takes over.

"So we are opposites successful the fight, and successful our lives."

'Nurmagomedov fights otherwise to his team-mates'

The combat against Nurmagomedov was made aft Pitbull's combat with Sidney Outlaw successful July was cancelled pursuing an wounded to the Brazilian.

The bout volition service arsenic the co-main lawsuit astatine Bellator 288 with Vadim Nemkov headlining the card, defending his light-heavyweight rubric against Corey Anderson.

The Nurmagomedov sanction has go synonymous with the pressure-wrestling benignant successfully utilised by galore Dagestani fighters, but Pitbull sees differences successful Friday's opponent.

"He is simply a feline that has large striking; helium is simply a striker first," said Pitbull.

"He seems to person bully wrestling but not arsenic effectual oregon arsenic unsafe arsenic his team-mates. But helium is undefeated truthful helium is precise confident."

Five of Pitbull's past six victories person travel by knockout successful a vocation that has produced 24 wins successful 34 fights.

When radical deliberation of his sanction and the bequest it commands successful the sport, Pitbull would similar them to deliberation of 3 things.

"Aggressiveness, bosom and large fights each time," helium said.

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