Patricky Freire made his Bellator MMA debut with a third-round technical knockout of former World Extreme Cagefighting titleholder “Razor” Rob McCullough on March 12, 2011. More than a decade later, the Brazilian slugger captured Bellator’s vacant lightweight championship and completed his climb to the top of its 155-pound mountain. A lesser man might have bailed on the journey.
“Thinking about it, I do have a long history within the organization,” Freire told Sherdog.com. “It’s a cool history, looking at each step taken. I had my highs and lows, but I carry on with strength.