Report: Pitbull to face Ige at UFC 318
Patricio "Pitbull" Freire will make his second Octagon appearance against Dan Ige at UFC 318 on July 19 in New Orleans, sources told MMA Junkie's Danny Segura and Nolan King.
Freire, a former Bellator two-division champion, signed with the UFC earlier this year and suffered a unanimous decision loss to No. 4-ranked featherweight Yair Rodriguez in his debut at UFC 314 in April.
The 37-year-old Brazilian remains unranked in the UFC's 145-pound division, though he was widely considered one of the best fighters outside the promotion before departing the PFL. Freire holds a 36-8 professional record and has beaten numerous top names throughout his career, including Michael Chandler, AJ McKee, and Juan Archuleta.
Ige, ranked No. 14, snapped a two-fight skid with a third-round TKO of Sean Woodson at UFC 314. The 33-year-old Hawaiian called out Freire after the event.
In the UFC 318 main event, Max Holloway is scheduled to defend the BMF title in a lightweight trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier. It will be the final fight of Poirier's illustrious career.