Bellator Kingpin Patricio Freire Challenges Dana White to $1 Million Bet for Fight vs. UFC Champ

Give him credit. He's dodges questions like Silva dodged punches vs. Griffin

Dana: Oh, Pitbull?
Media: Yes, what do you think of him as a fighter.
Dana: I don't know. I honestly couldn't tell you.#UFC pic.twitter.com/Av6hzcbEYx

— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) August 23, 2020

Patricio Freire didn’t take kindly to Dana White’s dismissal of a potential cross-promotional bout between fighters from Bellator MMA and the UFC.

White not only scoffed at the notion of Bellator’s light heavyweight division being superior to the UFC’s, but he also claimed not to be aware of other top talents on the California-based promotion’s roster, including the two-division champion Freire.

First, Freire reminded the world that he defeated Michael Chandler, a fighter whom White has recently expressed interest in signing as a free agent.

Hi [Dana White], I’m the one who destroyed steroids machine [Michael Chandler], whom you said deserves a talk, in 61 seconds,” Freire wrote on Twitter. “If you send some of your top fighters to Bellator MMA, I can do the same to them too. Let’s bet like you did with Pride.”

Bellator president Scott Coker has long been an advocate of cross-promotional bookings, and Bellator has recently shared cards with Japanese organization Rizin Fighting Federation. Freire says that if Bellator allowed him to face a UFC champion such as Khabib Nurmagomedov or Alexander Volkanovski, he’d be willing to put his money where his mouth is.

“Any way works fine for me,” Freire wrote. I’m sure if [Dana White] and the UFC are open to it, Bellator MMA will let me go there [and] fight their champions. I will even personally bet $1 million with White that I win. How does that sound for an incentive?”

Any way works fine for me. I'm sure if @danawhite and the @UFC are open to it @BellatorMMA will let me go there fight their champions. I will even personally bet 1 million dollars with White that I win. How does that sound for an incentive?

— Patricio Freire (@PatricioPitbull) August 23, 2020

Freire has long been among the top featherweights in the world and is coming off a decision win over Juan Archuleta at Bellator 228 this past September. He became a two-division champ with a first-round TKO of Chandler at Bellator 221. He owns a 30-4 career mark that also includes wins over the likes of Emmanuel Sanchez, Daniel Weichel, Daniel Straus, Pat Curran, Wilson Reis and Georgi Karakhanyan, to name a few.