Patricio "Pitbull" Freire makes a major Usman Nurmagomedov UFC prediction
Patricio "Pitbull" Freire, long considered to be an MMA great, has given his prediction about Usman Nurmagomedov's potential UFC future.
Usman Nurmagomedov has elicited considerable praise from former Bellator MMA featherweight and lightweight champion Patricio "Pitbull" Freire.
The 39-year-old Brazilian MMA veteran, who's lately competed in the UFC featherweight division, has predicted that Nurmagomedov's potential UFC signing could lead to a major opportunity for the 28-year-old.
Patricio "Pitbull" Freire predicts a title shot for Usman Nurmagomedov on signing with the UFC
Patricio "Pitbull" Freire is no stranger to the fighting prowess of Usman Nurmagomedov, albeit he hasn't faced him but witnessed his elder brother take him on. The sibling in question is the 40-year-old Patricky "Pitbull" Freire, who fought Nurmagomedov back in 2022.
Patricky suffered a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of the Dagestani combatant, which enabled the latter to dethrone him and become the new Bellator MMA lightweight champion. Nurmagomedov subsequently ended up being the final Bellator MMA lightweight titlist, as the organization was acquired by the PFL.
Speaking of which, the mixed martial arts realm was recently set abuzz with the announcement that the PFL and the Jake Paul-co-founded MVP MMA were merging. The new entity would be branded as MVP MMA, with the merger expected to fully absorb the PFL in 2027.
As such, some believe that the PFL/MVP would be likely to put forth a lucrative proposition to Nurmagomedov, who's currently a free agent, to re-sign with them. Nevertheless, rumors are rife that he's likely to sign with the UFC after his 90-day exclusive negotiation window with the PFL expires later this year.
During a recent conversation with James Lynch for Home of Fight, Patricio Freire was asked about how he sees Nurmagomedov faring in the UFC. "Pitbull" responded by making a definitive prediction, suggesting that he'd be given an immediate title shot upon signing with the UFC.
Speaking via a translator, Freire stated, "He (Usman Nurmagomedov) will likely be fighting for the title. He's very good, skilled, and young. And he has everything to be up there, fighting and challenging for the title."
Watch Patricio "Pitbull" Freire laud Usman Nurmagomedov below (*comments at the 15:30-minute mark of the video):
Patricio "Pitbull" Freire fights Doo-ho Choi at UFC 331; Usman Nurmagomedov's shadow looms large over the UFC lightweight division
Elsewhere during his talk with James Lynch, Patricio Freire indicated that his upcoming fight would mark the last of his current UFC deal, and he'd like to re-sign with and ascend to the top in the organization. He's coming off a unanimous decision defeat against Aaron Pico from earlier this year.
The veteran fighter is booked to clash against South Korea's Doo-ho Choi. The much-awaited Freire vs. Choi featherweight fight will transpire at UFC 331 in Los Angeles on September 19.
As for Usman Nurmagomedov, he defended his PFL lightweight belt by besting Archie Colgan via first-round KO at PFL New York last month. His manager Ali Abdelaziz and Team Nurmagomedov (Khabib Nurmagomedov, Umar Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and others) have signaled that he could be coming over to compete inside the Octagon soon.
Justin Gaethje beat Ilia Topuria to capture the UFC lightweight championship in June. "The Highlight" later affirmed he won't fight again till next year.
With Topuria and other top contenders vying for a title shot, many believe that Usman Nurmagomedov signing with the UFC in the coming months could result in his making his promotional debut in a title showdown against Gaethje. The American is, coincidentally, also managed by Ali Abdelaziz.
