Patricky Pitbull reacts to Dana White disclosing how a phone call from Patricio led to him signing with the UFC

Dana White recently reacted to Patricio Pitbull finally joining the UFC after years of waiting. Having persistently criticized the PFL (Professional Fighters League) and Bellator merger’s consequences, the Brazilian managed to negotiate his release from PFL to sign with the UFC.

He will be making his debut against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 on April 12. White revealed that a phone call from Freire played a key role in securing the deal. Speaking at the UFC Seattle post-fight press conference, White said:

"A phone call with him [convinced the UFC to sign him]. I think that obviously he’s going to get the opportunity now to come in and challenge himself against the best in the world, and no matter where he’s at in his career, beating Yair is a big deal.”

Check out Dana White's comments below:

Patricky Pitbull, Patricio’s brother, reacted positively to the signing, posting clapping emojis under the Instagram post by MMA Junkie.

Check out his reaction below:

Patricio’s brother Patricky Pitbull reacts to Dana White's comments. [Screenshots courtesy: @mmajunkie on Instagram]

Freire holds multiple Bellator records, including the most wins, most title defenses, and most finishes in the promotion’s history. He was also the second fighter in Bellator history to hold two division titles simultaneously.

The 37-year-old claimed it wasn't a cakewalk to secure a fight against top-ranked contenders in the UFC. He said that former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling turned down a potential fight on the proposed date in March. Pitbull also added that Rodriguez showed reluctance to accept the fight initially.

---

When Patricio Pitbull claimed Dana White "doesn't have balls" to orchestrate cross-promotional fights

In 2021, Patricio Pitbull was at the peak of his dominance in Bellator. The organization's then-two-division champion repeatedly called for a UFC vs. Bellator crossover fight to prove he was among the best in the world.

During that time, one of Pitbull’s biggest claims to UFC legitimacy was his first-round TKO victory over Michael Chandler. As Chandler prepared for a UFC title fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 262, Pitbull argued that Dana White is allegedly apprehensive about orchestrating cross-promotional fights.

Speaking in an interview with Ariel Helwani, Pitbull said:

"We have Michael Chandler fighting for the title in the UFC, and we all know that I beat him in less than a minute. If Dana White doesn’t put his champion to fight against the Bellator champion, he doesn’t have balls."

Check out Patricio Pitbull's comments below (5:30):