Patricio Pitbull

Biggest difference in training for this fight? The biggest difference is my desire to show my skills to a new audience and accomplish great feats in the UFC that haven't been done yet.

When and why did you start training for fighting? Ever since I was ten years old. Me and my brother used to fight a lot at home and our father thought it would be a good idea to put us in BJJ classes to control our temper. It only made the fights more technical (laughs). We soon started training kickboxing and the transition to MMA was natural. We were fans of the UFC since much younger; we saw Royce (Gracie) fight and were thrilled by it. Back then, the UFC and PRIDE were our passion. 

What professional titles have you held? I was the Bellator MMA Featherweight Champion three times. The first time I defended my belt twice, the second time I defended it five times and on the third time I had two title defenses before I left the promotion. I was also the Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion from May 2019 to November 2021. But due to the pandemic and issues with the promotion's schedule, I never defended that title. Meanwhile, my brother Patricky became the number one contender, so I vacated the belt and he won it after. Overall, I had 17 title fights and won 13 of them. I also won two Bellator Featherweight tournaments.

Any accomplishments in amateur combat sports? I have multiple regional titles in BJJ, also a Brazilian championship. My family couldn't afford to send me to world championships so that's as far as I could go back then.

Any belts/ ranks in grappling disciplines? I'm a BJJ Black Belt.

Any belts/ ranks in striking disciplines? I'm a Kickboxing Black Belt.

What has been your toughest fight to date and why? The toughest fight was to say no to a lot of things that took away my focus on my career, but today I don't see it as a struggle anymore, but as a virtue. As far as in cage challenges go, my two fights with Pat Curran, my first three fights with Daniel Straus and the first fight with Emmanuel Sanchez stand out to me. The easiest fight was Michael Chandler.

Who is your favorite fighter and why? My brother Patricky Pitbull. He always brings fireworks in his fights and many people don't know but he struggled with injuries and other issues during many years of his career. Still, he delivered excellent performances, even in defeat, being recognized for his grit, heart and exciting style. I dream of seeing him in the UFC, and just like I opened the doors for him for our first international contract, I hope I'm able to do the same now. He still has fire, he's recovered from the injuries that plagued him recently and I believe he can still make his way here.

Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I started studying Physical Education but never finished it.

What was your job before you started fighting? I've been focused on fighting from the start through the support of my parents and some key sponsors. At one time I thought about doing something else with my life due to the lack of opportunities. My first international contract came soon after that.

Origin of nickname: When I started BJJ, I had an aggressive style. Due to my build and how I fought, I was nicknamed Pitbull.

Personal Life / Background: I'm married, and I have two sons, Davi who's 9 years old and Miguel who's 5 years old. I love to train, to spend time with my kids and my wife. I have a lake house, we're there every weekend. We ride jet skis, go on boat trips, and spend time with family. It's something I really enjoy. I also love shooting and horseback riding.

I'm a winning first fighter, all my desire is to win, everything else is a consequence of that. But I don't like to win in boring ways, I'm always looking to finish my opponents everywhere the fight is taking place. I'm 37 years old, but we constantly run tests in the gym to measure performance and I'm still breaking my records of when I was younger. I believe I have never been as good as I am right now. I had a serious neck injury that hindered my performances in 2023. I ended up needing surgery and after it was done it was like I got ten years younger. So keep your eyes on me, I'm not here to be one more on the roster, I'll be the UFC Featherweight champion in the near future!