Patricio Pitbull, a dominant figure who has held the Bellator featherweight title for years and also captured the lightweight belt, is now preparing for his venture into the Ultimate Fighting Championship. His teammate from Pitbull Brothers, Leandro Higo, is vocal in his confidence that Pitbull will shine brightly in the UFC octagon.
Coincidentally, both Higo and Pitbull are scheduled to compete in Florida around the same time this week. Higo is set to make his PFL debut in the main event of PFL 2 in Orlando on April 11th, facing late replacement Marcirley Alves. Pitbull is slated for his first appearance in the UFC cage the following night, April 12th, where he is set to face Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314.
“I believe he will become champion in the UFC,” Higo stated. “Every fighter that went from Bellator to the UFC did well. The only former champion that didn’t do well in the UFC was Will Brooks. If you look at all the other Bellator guys, we had Michael Chandler doing well, Eddie Alvarez becoming champion, and many others. Patricio has all it takes to become champion, and he’s starting with a good fight.”
While the UFC featherweight championship will be contested between former champion Alexander Volkanovski and rising contender Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 314 in Miami, Higo believes a strong performance from Pitbull could immediately position him as the next challenger in the 145-pound division.
“Depending on the performance, he may also become the next challenger, he all everything to become champion,” Higo commented. He emphasized his belief in Pitbull`s elite status, adding, “He trains with champions, and he’s the best in the world.”
Although their respective fight preparations have necessitated the team splitting their training bases roughly 230 miles apart in Florida, Higo plans to drive to Miami immediately after his PFL bout concludes to support Pitbull during his highly anticipated first walk to the UFC octagon.
“I’ll hit the road to Miami as soon as my fight is over,” Higo confirmed. “I want to watch Pitbull’s debut. I believe he knocks him out.”
Regarding his own upcoming fight, Higo is preparing for his PFL debut against his second consecutive short-notice opponent. Marcirley Alves stepped in to replace Josh Rettinghouse, who was not medically cleared on the morning of weigh-ins after initially replacing Magomed Magomedov.
Addressing the frequent changes, Higo maintained a resilient attitude, stating, “My opponents are always changing but if you want to be a champion you have to go through adversities.” He acknowledged the difficult position of fighting a fellow Brazilian alternate who came in due to weigh-in issues but emphasized, “we`re both grown ups and we have a job to do.”
For Higo, this PFL debut is a crucial first step in the tournament. He is focused on securing this initial victory, with his sights set on subsequent wins that will pave his way towards the ultimate goal: claiming the $500,000 grand prize at the end of the PFL bantamweight season.
Oliver Croft