Bellator legend unpacks debut loss at UFC 314, considers options for next fight

The biggest name in Bellator history is ready to move on from what even he admits was a bit of a lackluster UFC debut.

Last weekend’s UFC 314 card took place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, FL and closed out with a featherweight title fight that saw Alexander Volkanovski become a two-time champion when he defeated Diego Lopes via unanimous decision.

The main card for UFC 314 also saw Jean Silva establish himself as a potential title challenger with a nasty submission that left Bryce Mitchell unconscious on the canvas, and in yet another featherweight tilt former interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez spoiled the highly-anticipated debut of former Bellator star Patricio Pitbull.

Yair Rodriguez (red gloves) fights against Patricio Pitbull (blue gloves) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"I Could Have Done More"

The matchup between Rodriguez and Pitbull took place right in the middle of the UFC 314 main card before Paddy Pimblett defeated Michael Chandler in the co-main event, and while Pitbull did push the pace a bit more in the final five minutes the Brazilian lost all three rounds on the judges’ scorecards.

The 37-year-old was a two-division champion in Bellator and has long been touted as one of the top fighters outside of the UFC, and in a recent interview with MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz the featherweight attempted to unpack what went wrong in his promotional debut.

“Maybe for spending many years fighting in five-round fights, I don’t know if my sense of urgency took too long to activate,” Pitbull said. “It was my mistake not to start with the foot on the gas, but it’s understandable because that could have led to a mistake. I don’t like to make mistakes. I like to hit the target when I fire. In general, I could have done more, went for war, hunted him, but it’s too late to say. We could have done better.”

Options For Pitbull's Next Fight

A win over Rodriguez would have earned Pitbull a Top 5 ranking and immediately put him in the conversation for a featherweight title shot, but even after the setback the Brazilian is eager to face a lower-ranked opponent in order to start building some momentum back towards the top of the division.

“I told the UFC to surprise me,” Pitbull said. “I wanted to debut with the right foot. Had I beat Yair Rodriguez, I’d definitely be in the Top 5 now and people would be asking me about possibly being next for the belt. Now I have to look at the Top 15. It’s a bit frustrating, but I understand that’s what needs to happen now.”

Cruz’s article notes that Pitbull put up a poll on his social media for fans to vote on his next opponent, with Dan Ige beating out Josh Emmett, Aljamain Sterling, and UFC 314 headliner Lopes as the top option.

Dan Ige (red gloves) reacts after defeating Sean Woodson (blue gloves) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

“50K” earned a controversial TKO over Sean Woodson in the featured prelim of UFC 314, and with Ige currently ranked at #14 in the aftermath of the event a matchup with the American could present exactly the opportunity Pitbull needs to earn his first UFC victory and break into the rankings.

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