While the UFC will host a featherweight title fight this weekend between reigning champ Alexander Volkanovski and Chan Sung Jung, over at Bellator there’s a very different conversation. Bellator’s former featherweight champ Patricio “Pitbull” believes that he could walk through any and all comers, including the UFC’s best. It’s just that Dana White won’t allow a cross-promotional fight in case the UFC roster comes off second best.
Pitbull explained his reasoning on the Trocação Franca podcast. “I think that’s the next step in MMA, one other promotions have already taken. Bellator has taken that step, RIZIN too. Maybe Bellator against PFL [next].
Pitbull: Dana White “Afraid” of Cross Promotional Superfight
I wish the UFC would join as well, because we know there’s [that debate], who’s the best one, the UFC or the Bellator [champion]? It doesn’t matter who I think wins, what really matters is who actually wins. So, to be sure, we have to put the champions [in a position] to fight each other. To me, that’s the next step we have to take in MMA.”
To definitively claim the number one spot in any weight division would be a massive boon for any fighter’s career. While professional boxing’s various promotions and titles are frequently up for unification, with occasional lineal champs like Tyson Fury emerging to dominate all challengers, in the world of MMA things are very different.
It wasn’t always this way, however. “When Pride was the MMA giant, [White] risked his fighters to fight there and do a cross promotion.
Now that he has this monopoly of the bigger promotion, he’s afraid that his champion will go there for a superfight like this and end up losing and taking away that credibility and name they have.”
Pitbull is open to challenging a champ from another promotion in future, but for the moment he wants to remain at lightweight. Last year, he lost his lightweight title to AJ McKee, and wants revenge before even thinking about a cross-promotional fight, which he’d prefer at 155 pounds these days regardless.
“It depends on the challenge. If it’s a fight that excites me, I’d do it. But if it’s a fight that doesn’t make much sense at this stage, I wouldn’t go through that, because even though I’m short, I’m very solid and compact. I’m stronger than the norm at featherweight.
You could say I’m a ‘Toquinho’ Rousimar Palhares of 145 in terms of body type. People like us have a lot of muscle, legs, ass, strong upper body and back, and it’s not easy to lose muscle to fit that weight class.
My [weight class] is 145, really. If there’s a great challenge at 155 or 135, we’ll do it. But until then, my division remains the same. My focus is on A.J. McKee and bringing that belt back.”
Do you agree with Pitbull? Let us know in the comments.
