Patricio “Pitbull” Freire didn’t get a finish, but he dominated for the better part of 25 minutes in a lopsided performance as he defended his title and moved forward in the ongoing Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix.
The two-division Bellator champion used an effective counter-striking attack to stifle Archuleta at every turn en route to judges scores of 49-46, 50-45 and 49-46 in his favor after five rounds.
“This dude is a warrior,” Freire said following his win. “I want to thank him for this fight. We did a great battle here.”
It took some time for the fighters to engage in the opening round, as “Pitbull” and Archuleta were tentative to give an inch when exchanging strikes on the feet.