Bellator featherweight king Patricio Freire had a “champion’s choice” that could overrule any match-up in the quarterfinal round of the grand prix, and he selected a fight with Pedro Carvalho in March.
That wasn’t his original plan.
Standing onstage at The Forum alongside his brother, fellow Bellator fighter Patricky Freire, and their coach Eric Albarracin, the two-division champ heard his older sibling whisper something in Portuguese.
“Take the easy fight,” Patricky Freire told Patricio.
That wasn’t a reference to Carvalho, Patricky Freire explained to MMAFighting. It was a reference to two other grand prix entrants: Derek Campos and Darrion Caldwell.