Nobody has scored extra knockouts contained in the Bellator cage than Patricky Pitbull, and he desires to proceed to construct that popularity in Japan. Pitbull signed an unique cope with the group after leaving PFL and can face Shunta Nomura at Tremendous RIZIN 4 on Sunday morning.
He has already competed 4 occasions in Japan, dealing with top-competition contained in the RIZIN ring, and received three of 4 by way of knockout — together with a end over present light-weight champion Roberto Satoshi. Pitbull landed soccer kicks to cease Luiz Gustavo, assaults he wasn’t allowed to throw in Bellator and PFL, and hopes to safe different old-school finishes.
“I hope to not take this battle to the third spherical,” Pitbull instructed MMA Combating. “Japan is a spot that provides me extra freedom to be extra aggressive, I can’t clarify precisely why. Perhaps it’s as a result of the principles are a bit completely different, there are stomps concerned. We’ll be allowed to throw elbows [on the ground], too. I believe that helps me be aggressive on the ft and finish with the stomps on the bottom.”
Pitbull received twice by way of stomps in MMA, a pair of knockouts within the Brazilian circuit twenty years in the past. Extra skilled as a former Bellator light-weight champion and a fitness center chief alongside his brother Patricio Pitbull, the 39-year-old believes he may very well be a win away from a shot at Satoshi with a win over a “difficult” Nomura.
“I do know it’s fairly potential if I placed on a superb efficiency,” Pitbull mentioned. “I’m not relying on it. I don’t know if they are going to resolve to offer me another battle and maintain this rematch a bit longer, however a superb battle, a superb efficiency, there’s a superb probability they e book this one for the most important occasion of the yr [on New Years’ Eve].”
Pitbull and Satoshi met on the second Bellator vs. RIZIN present in July 2023, and Satoshi’s title was not on the road. Representing the North American promotion in a cage as a substitute of Japan’s conventional ring, Pitbull chopped down Satoshi’s legs earlier than the eventual stoppage within the third spherical.
Satoshi is at the moment driving a four-fight successful streak relationship again, ending each single opponent within the opening spherical since March 2024.
“He’s the undisputed champion, nobody can take the belt from him, however I’ve crushed him in a unique time,” Pitbull mentioned. “He took the battle on two weeks’ discover and we had been preventing in a cage, and I don’t know if that harm him. That’s not an excuse, however perhaps he didn’t have the perfect time to organize for me. I used to be coaching to battle A.J. McKee and I used to be coaching for some time, and had already fought a month earlier than.”
