Patricio Freire: My Main Goal is to Make A.J. McKee ‘Feel Pain’ in Title Rematch

After losing his featherweight belt to A.J. McKee last July, it looks like Patricio Freire will get a chance to step into the cage again with “The Mercenary” later this year.

Last week, reports surfaced that Bellator was targeting a McKee-Freire rematch for April, and Freire told Sherdog.com this week that he has already begun his camp for the bout even though it has not been finalized.

“I sent an email to Bellator right after [the loss] asking for the immediate rematch and the only feedback that I had was, ‘We will try, but it may not happen.’ The information was leaked last week, but I cannot confirm yet, but I truly hope it happens,” Freire said.

Freire added that he has essentially been training since he began his mixed martial arts career.

“I never stop training,” he said. “I don’t see any other MMA fighter more motivated than myself. I’m 34 years old. I started back in 2004 and never stopped training. There are many fighters that started after me and already retired. And according with my physiologists, I still have a long run. I´m still doing five rounds of five minutes like a 19-year-Old Boy .”

Freire has a long history of doing well in rematches, besting the likes of Pat Curran, Daniel Straus, Daniel Weichel and Emmanuel Sanchez in return dates under the Bellator banner.

“There is nothing that motivates me more than a rematch,” he said. “Losing is something that is unacceptable to me. I´m not programmed to lose, I´m programmed to be a champion, and I’ll show that when I step in the cage again with A.J.”

According to the Brazilian, his primary goal is not getting a finish against McKee.

"My main goal is make him feel pain, beat him so badly that he will (forget about the first fight). Of course, if the submission or knockout opportunity shows up I´ll take it, but it´s not what I’m training so hard for,” Freire said. “My main goal is beat him really badly this time.”

 If he does beat McKee in the rematch, Freire knows it likely won’t be the last he will see of the Team Bodyshop standout.

“I’m not thinking about it now, but it makes sense that this story will have more chapters,” he said. “I´ll be ready to do two, three or four fights if necessary.”