Patricio Freire thinks he can beat Jose Aldo: 'I am the best fighter'

Fresh off a stirring come-from-behind knockout victory over Daniel Weichel at Bellator 138 last week, featherweight champion Patricio Freire is ready to crown himself the best 145-pounder on the planet.

When asked whether he would emerge victorious against UFC champion Jose Aldo if the two were to face off at UFC 189, Pitbull's answer was simple.

"Yes," Freire told MMAjunkie.com's Steven Marrocco in English. "He's fast and he has good power, but my hands are better. My footwork is better, too, and I can take down my opponents. I am the best fighter."

Less than three weeks out from his hotly-anticipated bout with Conor McGregor on July 11, Aldo suffered a rib injury while training, and his status for the bout is still very much in the air.

"I think that Jose Aldo is a champion," Freire continued in Portuguese. "I think our fight probably wouldn't sell as much as it would against Conor McGregor, because Conor McGregor can sell the fight more because we don't speak English. But it would definitely be a war. We would both leave hurt.

"But I'm in this game to be the best in the world. I’m the champ, and that's it. I'm winning."