Patricio
“Pitbull” Freire believes reconnecting with a longtime boxing
coach, Edelson Silva, played a major role in getting his career
back on track.
Freire recently returned to winning ways in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, finishing Doo Ho Choi
by first-round technical knockout at UFC
331.
Patricio Freire credits reunion with Edelson Silva for Doo Ho
Choi finish
After his victory over Choi, Freire spoke about his reunion with
Silva, which he credited as the primary factor in reviving his
career. Talking to UFC Brazil’s Evelyn Rodrigues as he left the
Octagon, the former Bellator
champ said the reunion allowed him to fight more freely.
“I wasn’t letting myself go in the previous fights, but thank God I
was able to find myself again in this one,” Freire said after the
victory. “Edelson worked with me from 2010 to 2015. Unfortunately,
we drifted apart for 11 years, when he worked on 10 of Anderson
Silva’s camps. But we were able to work things out and make
peace.”
This piece was updated at 2:02 p.m. ET on Sept. 22 to correct
that Freire worked with his coach from 2010 to 2015, not 2000 to
2015, as first reported. Also, information stating that UFC 331 was
the final fight on Freire’s contract was removed, as Freire’s camp
is now saying it was not the final bout on his current deal.