Plenty of Bite Left

Champions can never rest—a reality Patricio Freire knows all too well.

“Pitbull” will defend his Bellator MMA featherweight title against Adam Borics in the Bellator 286 headliner on Saturday at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California, where the Brazilian looks to build on his resume as the most decorated and accomplished fighter in the promotion’s history. Freire spent his entire training camp at Pitbull Brothers headquarters in Natal, Brazil.

“We analyzed Adam’s game well,” Freire said, “and we have a great fight plan.”

Borics, 29, enters the cage on the strength of a four-fight winning streak that spans more than two years. The Kill Cliff Fight Club (formerly Sanford MMA) export last competed at Bellator 276, where he laid claim to a five-round unanimous decision over Mads Burnell on March 12 and cemented himself as the No. 1 contender at 145 pounds. Borics owns a 9-1 record in Bellator, a January 2020 submission defeat to Darrion Caldwell his only misstep.

While Freire’s focus now shifts to Borics, his memorable two-fight series with A.J. McKee remains a point of contention for both men. The Brazilian still has trouble processing his July 31, 2021 submission defeat to McKee in the first round of their Bellator 263 main event. The victory pushed the Team Bodyshop star’s record to 18-0, resulted in a life-changing $1 million payday, brought him the undisputed featherweight title and made the Californian the talk of the sport for a time.

“He should give half of the prize money to the referee, because I didn’t tap or black out,” Freire said. “The referee gave him the win. He threw a great kick, and I made a mistake. He was efficient [with the submission], but the fight shouldn’t have been stopped.”

McKee’s reign atop the 145-pound weight class was short-lived. Freire reclaimed the championship when he took a five-round unanimous decision from the “Mercenary” in their Bellator 277 rematch on April 15. Neither man views the score as settled, and most observers see a trilogy as inevitable.

“In the second fight, I showed that I’m the best fighter,” Freire said. “I want to beat him up again because he keeps talking. Next time, I’ll knock him out, but otherwise, I don’t care. I said I would take the zero off his record, and I did.”

Before any continuation of the McKee rivalry can take place, Freire must first get past Borics. The Hungarian put himself on the map in 2019, when he wiped out uber prospect Aaron Pico with a flying knee and follow-up punches, his spectacular stoppage now a staple of Bellator highlight reels.

“Adam is talented,” Freire said. “He deserves to challenge for the belt. I think it will be an interesting fight.”