Patricio Freire expects a whole new fight in AJ McKee rematch

Patricio Freire expects a whole new fight in the AJ McKee rematch at Bellator 277.

Former Bellator Featherweight Champion Patricio Freire has a whole new bag of tricks ready for his rematch with AJ McKee at Bellator 277.

Freire lost his title to McKee in the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix Finals at Bellator 263. Before that, he had won his last seven fights, including clinching the featherweight title against Daniel Straus at Bellator 178.

Freire looked like an unstoppable force ahead of his first matchup with McKee at both featherweight and lightweight. But during his Bellator 277 prefight press conference, Freire explained why he sees this rematch as a brand new opportunity.

“I’ve been in this game since 2004,” Freire said. “When I lost the belt, I started training again the first day I came back to Brazil. I haven’t been training like a madman, I’m 34 years old, but that strategy is being jettisoned. Now I’m training for this new strategy and I’ve trained to be a lot smarter for this fight.”

Patricio Freire seeks revenge on AJ McKee

Experience is certainly on Freire’s side ahead of what is arguably the most eagerly awaited fight in Bellator history. He has fought and defeated some of the top contenders at featherweight and lightweight, including Michael Chandler and Emmanuel Sanchez.

While McKee is currently considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in Bellator, Freire has a chance to take the throne and show Bellator fans why he’s considered an all-time great. He will be looking to retake the featherweight title against McKee at Bellator 277.

Bellator 277: AJ McKee vs. Patricio Pitbull 2 ​​takes place live from the SAP Center in San Jose, California on Friday, April 15, 2022. Follow FanSided MMA who will be on hand for all your news and highlights.