Patricio Pitbull credits coach's return for UFC 331 knockout
The former Bellator champion revealed that reconnecting with Edelson Silva after 12 years helped him rediscover his motivation.
Patricio Pitbull is back to winning ways. The former Bellator two-division champion stopped Doo Ho Choi by TKO in the first round on Saturday at UFC 331 in his second appearance this year. Pitbull revealed that his preparation for the fight went far beyond physical training and credited his reunion with boxing coach Edelson Silva after 12 years apart for playing an important role in his performance.
Patricio Pitbull Says He Had Lost His Motivation
Since making his UFC debut in April 2025, when he lost a unanimous decision to Yair Rodriguez, Pitbull had yet to deliver performances like those he produced while he was a Bellator two-division champion. Aware of that, the Brazilian admitted that his biggest problem was not necessarily inside the Octagon, revealing that he had reached a point where he no longer felt excited about the things that had previously motivated him.
"I was apathetic," Pitbull told Ag Fight after the bout. "I didn't feel any emotion anymore, that was my problem. It was a lack of happiness. Nothing excited me anymore: not music, not money, not cars, absolutely nothing. I managed to bring back that feeling in my stomach. I wasn't even feeling that anymore."
The Brazilian's return to form came after he reconnected with Edelson Silva, a boxing coach who had worked with him during his Bellator days. According to Pitbull, bringing Silva back to his camp after 12 years allowed them to rebuild their relationship and bring back some of the characteristics that had made him so dangerous during his Bellator run.
Patricio Pitbull Reunited With Boxing Coach After 12 Years
Pitbull believes Silva's return was fundamental to his preparation for Choi. The Brazilian said the work they did together helped him bring back his punching power and volume while adapting those skills to his current stage in the UFC.
"At that moment, Edelson Silva came to my mind," Pitbull said. "After being apart for 12 years, I managed to bring this guy back. We worked together and had time to reconnect and bring back the strong punches I had back in the Bellator days to the UFC today. Punch volume, heavy hands. As he said throughout the entire training camp: 'We didn't come here to fight, we came here to kill.'"
The work with Silva translated into an aggressive performance against Choi, reminiscent of the style Pitbull displayed during his Bellator days. Pitbull pressured the Korean fighter before finishing the fight with punches and elbows at 3:28 of the opening round, winning his second UFC fight since joining the promotion.
With the victory, Pitbull improved his professional record to 38-9 and returned to the win column after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Aaron Pico in April.
