The Wednesday before his successful rematch against A.J. McKee in April, Patricio Freire broke down in tears during a photo shoot. Arranged on a chair in front of him, a folded Brazilian flag was placed underneath one of his previous Bellator MMA featherweight championship belts and a special leather hat. This particular chapéu de vaqueiro belonged to a Brazilian cowboy named Daniel Rodrigues, whom everyone called “Santa Cruz” because that was his hometown in northeastern Brazil. Eric Albarracin had not seen “Pitbull” cry in months, not since the 11th of November—the day Rodrigues lost his life.
A Champion’s Heart
