Patricio Freire and Daniel Straus will meet for the fourth time on Friday night, but this meeting is unique for the Brazilian for one simple reason: he’s no longer the champion.
The featherweight duo battled for the first time in 2011, with “Pitbull" winning the 145-pound tournament and earning a shot at the Bellator belt. Four years later, then as the champion, Freire battled back from another tough fight to defeat Straus via fourth-round submission.
In Freire's third title defense, 10 months later, Straus finally avenged the losses and seized the featherweight belt to American Top Team.