Patricio ‘Pitbull’ makes violent case for new UFC deal with Round 1 KO

Patricio "Pitbull" Freire made a statement in the octagon at UFC 331, securing a first-round knockout victory over Doo Ho Choi to make a compelling case for a contract extension with the UFC. Fighting on the final bout of his current deal, the former Bellator champion had vowed to deliver a performance worthy of renewal, and he delivered in emphatic fashion, dropping Choi with a monstrous right hand in round one. Freire's UFC tenure had been uneven before Saturday, with losses to Yair Rodriguez and Aaron Pico alongside a lackluster unanimous decision over Dan Ige. In his post-fight interview, Freire apologized to fans for his recent string of performances and called out Jean Silva, known for his aggressive trash talk, to face off next. "I feel that [UFC 331] was my debut," Freire said. "The pressure here is bigger [than Bellator]. But now I feel comfortable." Silva, who holds an 18–3 record with five finishes in six UFC wins, recently defeated Jose Delgado at Noche UFC 4. The matchup would pit two of the featherweight division's most vocal personalities against each other.