Patricio Pitbull claims UFC fighters fake injuries to avoid short-notice bouts, reveals DM exchange with Yair Rodriguez: "Where’s your Mexican pride?"

Patricio Pitbull is fired up and ready to go to make his mark in the UFC. To establish a commanding presence with his arrival, he also made bold claims about UFC fighters faking injuries to avoid short-notice bouts. The former Bellator champion, who recently secured his release from the Professional Fighters League (PFL), reportedly faced difficulties finding an opponent for his UFC debut.

Speaking in an interview with MMA Fighting, Pitbull claimed that he was initially offered a fight against Aljamain Sterling. However, Sterling allegedly turned down the fight, claiming he needed more time. Reports also suggest that Yair Rodriguez was approached next, but the dynamic featherweight also hesitated before eventually accepting the fight at UFC 314.

Shedding light on top-ranked contenders seemingly avoiding short-notice fights, Pitbull said:

“It was hard because they didn’t sound very excited at first. There was a meeting with [Jorge Guimaraes] ‘Joinha’ and Ed [Soares] and the UFC. One [UFC fighter] wanted it, another didn’t, and one tried to convince the other. ‘Joinha’ said to me, ‘Brother, trust me, it will work out in the end.’ And out of a sudden, they asked if I would fight Aljamain Sterling in March. I said I was in, but he ran. He said he needed more time to fight, that he would only be able to fight in April. [H/t: MMA Fighting]

He added:

“Then they offered me Yair Rodriguez, but he didn’t respond. I messaged him in private. ‘What’s up brother, will you fight or not? Where’s your Mexican pride?’ Teased him a little bit. He said it would be very gratifying to welcome me to the organization. But when the UFC contacted him, he turned it down and asked for a ranked opponent. Cool, UFC gave him Arnold Allen. I told ‘Joinha’ to stay on it because Arnold Allen would pull out from this fight. He would probably get injured. We know that when someone takes a fight on such short notice, and he doesn’t have a complete camp, most guys avoid that. And in order to avoid saying no to the UFC, they take it and then ‘get hurt.’ ‘Joinha’ texted [the UFC] and said I would be ready.”

Eventually, the fight against Rodriguez came to fruition. The pair will square off on April 12 at UFC 314 in Miami.

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Patricio Pitbull previews upcoming Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes clash

While Patricio Pitbull will be making his highly-anticipated UFC debut on April 12, the UFC featherweight division will witness the coronation of a new champion now that it's been confirmed that Ilia Topuria will be vacating his throne.

Former UFC 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski and top-ranked contender Diego Lopes will lock horns for the vacant throne in the main event of UFC 314. Previewing the fight in the aforementioned interview with MMA Fighting, Pitbull said:

“[Lopes] is new blood, he’s explosive and hungry. Volkanovski doesn’t have the same chin anymore. He’s a complicated man to fight, he jumps around and has many feints, and Diego Lopes will have to avoid that kind of strategy. And if there’s a Brazil vs. Brazil fight for the title next, it’s an honor for me, no problem."