Patricio “Pitbull” Freire woke up one belt lighter following his submission loss at Bellator 263 to A.J. McKee.

Patricio Pitbull vows to bounce back from Bellator 263 championship loss

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Freire was done in less than two minutes in the headlining bout that doubled as the featherweight Grand Prix finals and a division title match. Solemn but stoic in the post-fight media session, Freire focused on what he still has, not what was lost.

“I already told him, ‘Son, it’s a bad day, but it’s part of the life,’” Freire said about talking to his son following the loss. “He’s a happy little boy and he doesn’t understand very well, but I know he’s going to remember this.

“Let’s think about it. I have a belt. I’m still a world champion.”

Freire holds onto the lightweight belt he claimed with a 2019 knockout of Michael Chandler. He said he won’t rush to book his next fight, when asked if a do-over with McKee might be in the cards. He said he’ll spend some time enjoying his wife and kids before making another move.

“I’ll come back stronger,” he said.

–Field Level Media