Saad Awad owns a signature win over Will Brooks. | Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
A Bellator MMA card already anchored by what should be an action-packed lightweight battle just got heftier.
A Millennia MMA representative, Awad stands as the only man to defeat reigning Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks. Awad eventually lost to Brooks in a rematch, but he’s bounced back with three consecutive wins, including a first-round knockout of former Strikeforce veteran Joe Duarte. Awad most recently fought in April, when he scored a dominant unanimous decision win over Rob Sinclair at Bellator 136.
After having an up-and-down start to his MMA career, Awad eventually caught fire, winning 10 of his last 12 bouts. The California resident, who is 18-6 overall, has finished seven of his triumphs via KO/TKO and seven more by way of submission.
Freire, the elder brother of Bellator featherweight champ Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, is coming off a decision loss to Marcin Held last September at Bellator 126. That ended a three-fight winning streak for Freire, who has been sidelined with injuries since the Held fight.
Bellator 141 takes place the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif., and will be televised live on Spike TV starting at 9 p.m. ET. Preliminary bouts will be streamed live on Spike.com starting at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.