Patricio Pitbull, a long-reigning Bellator featherweight champion, is set to make his UFC debut against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314, with his teammate Leandro Higo expressing confidence in his potential success, while Higo himself prepares for his PFL debut against Marcirley Alves.
Patricio Pitbull has long been the ruler of Bellator’s featherweight division. He even snagged the lightweight title by defeating Michael Chandler. Oh, and let’s not forget his trip to Japan, where he triumphed over RIZIN champ Kleber Koike.
Now, he’s gearing up for a new challenge: the octagon. Leandro Higo, his Pitbull Brothers teammate, is optimistic about Patricio’s UFC future.
This week, both fighters are in action in Florida. Higo is set to make his PFL debut in Orlando at PFL 2’s main event. He’s facing Marcirley Alves, a last-minute replacement on April 11. Meanwhile, Pitbull steps into the octagon the next night to face Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314.
“I believe he’ll become a UFC champion,” Higo told MMA Fighting. “Most Bellator fighters transition well to the UFC. Sure, Will Brooks struggled, but look at Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez—they thrived. Patricio’s got what it takes.”
UFC 314 in Miami will see the featherweight belt contested. Former champ Alexander Volkanovski squares off against rising star Diego Lopes.
A strong performance by Pitbull could position him as the next contender in the 145-pound division.
“Depending on how he performs, he might be next in line,” Higo added. “He’s got everything needed to be champion—trains with champions and is arguably the best.”
With their training camps separated by 230 miles in Florida, Higo and Pitbull had to split their team. But Higo plans to drive to Miami post-fight to witness Pitbull’s UFC debut.
“I’ll head to Miami right after my fight,” Higo said. “I want to see Pitbull’s first octagon walk. I think he’ll get a knockout.”
Higo faces his second short-notice opponent on Friday, aiming for victory en route to a $500,000 prize in the PFL bantamweight tournament. After Magomed Magomedov withdrew and Josh Rettinghouse was deemed unfit, Alves stepped in.
“My opponents keep changing,” Higo noted. “But champions overcome adversity. It’s unfortunate I have to fight a fellow Brazilian now.”
“We’ve shared cards before,” he continued. “But we’re professionals with jobs to do. This is my tournament start—God willing, it’ll be my first win.”
Then comes victory number two, three…and that sweet half-million prize!