Michael Chandler's first real memory of being around Patricio Freire dates all the way back to early 2011. At the time, Bellator used a tournament format, with seasons and events airing every week. After the fourth season, the promotion flew the tournament participants to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, for video shoots. Chandler, then 25 years old, was coming off his Bellator lightweight tournament win, and Freire, 23, who lost to Joe Warren in the season two featherweight tournament final, had just won the season four tourney. Chandler and Warren, a pair of former star amateur wrestlers, were hanging out together that day. Warren, Chandler said, was giving Freire and his brother, Patricky -- both nicknamed "Pitbull" -- a hard time. "I'll never forget, Joe Warren was taunting and heckling both of the 'Pitbull' brothers, literally making fun of them and telling everybody about how fat they were," Chandler told ESPN. "They both were overweight. They both were out of shape. I don't know if they hadn't been training. I don't know if they were going through some injuries, but it was funny sitting back watching Joe Warren roast them, telling everybody how fat they were, calling them the Sausage Brothers and the Burger Brothers." Freire will tell you that his rivalry with Chandler started when Chandler made remarks about his family after knocking out Patricky in 2016. Chandler will say that it became real when Freire accused him of performance-enhancing drug use last year. But that day in Florida eight years ago might have been the origin of the blood feud between the two best fighters in the history of Bellator. Chandler and "Pitbull" will settle things in the cage on Saturday in the main event of Bellator 221 in Rosemont, Illinois. The fight will be for Chandler's Bellator lightweight title. Freire, the featherweight champion, is moving up in weight for the historic bout. Freire, who said he couldn't train at the time due to a broken hand, remembers that 2011 shoot as one of the first times he thought Chandler was using banned substances. "Him and Warren didn't have fights booked, but they were all looking like bodybuilders, full of veins and muscles in their body," Freire said through an interpreter. "I remember that pretty well. They were full of steroids, and I couldn't train." The history between the two men is rich, but this is a fight that transcends trash talk. When Chandler and "Pitbull" step into the cage on Saturday, it will be a contest to see who Bellator's true franchise fighter is, who is the best to ever enter the Bellator cage. Chandler and Freire have long been the cornerstones of the upstart promotion, which was founded by Bjorn Rebney in 2009. Chandler and "Pitbull" are tied for the most wins (16) and title wins (six) in Bellator history. Chandler has the most finishes (11) in Bellator history, one more than Freire (10). They are tied for second in fights in the promotion (20), behind only those of David Rickels (22). "I think this is definitely the biggest fight in Bellator history," Chandler said. "When you talk about accolades of the two fighters, when you talk about the tenure of the two fighters, when you talk about two guys who have always consistently performed and put on a show." Patricio Freire will look to get redemption for his brother, Patricky, who lost twice to Michael Chandler. Ed Mulholland/Getty Images Chandler (19-4) is a three-time Bellator lightweight champion. Freire (28-4) has held the Bellator featherweight belt twice. They have both lorded over their respective divisions for the better part of the decade. "Pitbull" believes the thing that sets him apart from Chandler is his willingness to move up in weight, which he also did against former UFC champion Benson Henderson. "He mentions himself as the greatest," Freire said of Chandler. "But he didn't have the audacity to go up in weight class and fight a champion that's bigger than him. And that's what I'm doing for a second time. He doesn't have the courage that I do." Chandler, 33, first won the Bellator lightweight title in 2011, a submission finish over Eddie Alvarez in what still might be the most exciting fight in Bellator history. Former Bellator play-by-play man Sean Wheelock remembers Chandler telling him back then that he thought he could beat Alvarez, who was considered one of the best lightweight fighters in the world. Wheelock said he was impressed by Chandler's moxie and quiet confidence. He is not at all shocked that Chandler and "Pitbull" are still performing at a high level today. "I think the fact that we're talking about guys from 2010 representing Bellator now, a Bellator that's much different than it was then, it shows that Bjorn was very good at creating stars," Wheelock said. "I'm not surprised because I know they're both supremely talented. Give them credit for staying loyal to Bellator. I think they both could have gone on to the UFC and replicated that success. I think they're both top-five fighters in the world in their weight class." An ESPN request for an interview with Rebney went unreturned this week. "This is definitely the biggest fight in Bellator history." Michael Chandler Scott Coker took the reins of Bellator in 2014 after the promotion was acquired by Viacom. Coker said he was disconnected from MMA in the three years following his sale of Strikeforce to the UFC; he didn't know the caliber of Bellator's stars. But he was blown away when he saw Freire beat Daniel Straus in January 2015, just a few months into his tenure. "It was like the Hagler-Hearns moment for me when I saw those guys throw down, and it was so intense," Coker said. "I remember thinking, these guys are f---ing amazing." Chandler beat Patricky, Freire's brother, for the first time in 2011 and again by vicious knockout in 2016. After that finish, Chandler climbed the cage to celebrate and was met by Patricio. The two exchanged words, and that's when Chandler made a quip about beating up the entire "Pitbull" family. "He has to talk about me and my brother, not about our family," Freire, 31, said. "He was the one who decided to make it personal, including every member of our family. And now he's gonna have to pay for that." Chandler says the beef is one-sided, and Freire took that comment out of context. He said he hasn't lost a wink of sleep due to "Pitbull." The one thing that has gotten under his skin, though, is the steroid accusations. Freire has claimed that Chandler hasn't gotten caught yet because Bellator does not have an anti-doping policy that tests out of competition. "Nothing has really made me upset aside from the baseless, false accusations of PED use," Chandler said. "That's something that's just a black eye on the sport because you're bringing up the fact that if you're in Bellator, you're a cheater because you can't be a clean athlete in Bellator. It's just a silly argument to make. "Secondly, it just makes him look insecure and reaching for dumb things because I look a certain way or I train a certain way or I do certain things on my Instagram that make him feel uncomfortable with his manhood. I don't know." Michael Chandler lost his Bellator lightweight title to Brent Primus in June 2017 but won the belt back in October. Ed Mulholland/USA Today Sports "Pitbull" said Chandler is upset by these claims because "the truth hurts." "I don't respect him as a fighter," Freire said. "He's a dangerous fighter, but to me he's dirty. He's using substances and trying to kill someone. To me, most of the things he did, he did because he had the steroids. He wouldn't be half the fighter he is if he didn't have all that." Chandler said he does respect Friere, at least inside the cage. "He's got a dangerous mentality," Chandler said. "He's a fighter's fighter. He's a guy who wants to go out there and brawl, and he's not afraid to get into a fistfight. He's a guy who's got power in his hands, power in his kicks, power in his knees, power in his elbows. And he's good with his submissions." Chandler vs. "Pitbull" has everything anyone could want in an MMA headliner. Champion vs. champion. Legitimate bad blood. A long, sordid history. Most importantly, though, this is a fight that pits the best against the best. Bellator bragging rights are on the line, and the stakes could not be higher. "I will prove that I'm the greatest fighter in Bellator history," Freire said. "And it will put me in the conversation with all the greats." Added Chandler: "We're in the same class, if you will. The same graduating class. We both came in as freshmen under the Bellator banner, and now we're both seniors. And we're fighting for captainship of the Bellator organization."<doc-sep>It all goes down TONIGHT (Sat., May 11, 2019) at Bellator 221: “Chandler vs. Pitbull” from inside Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The Lightweight title is up for grabs as division champion Michael Chandler (19-4) puts his title up against Featherweight champion Patricio Freire (28-4) as he moves up to 155 pounds. Chandler has not lost a fight since his fluke injury at Bellator 180 back in 2017; coincidentally, “Pitbull” can say the same about his 2016 fight with Benson Henderson. Aside from the fact they are in different weight classes it would feel like they’ve been on a collision course this whole time. Despite their respective setbacks, both have gone on to dominate their divisions and become multiple-time world champions in Bellator. An intriguing aspect of this match up is that both men are on the smaller size compared to their divisional rivals. “Pitbull” is only 5’5” with a 65-inch reach, while “Iron Mike” is 5’8” with a 69-inch reach. In other words, they are much closer in stature to each other than most of their challengers for the world title. As the old cliche goes, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. Both men are ferocious and have one-punch knockout striking power. What’s Hot: A Welterweight Grand Prix semifinal shares the spotlight as the undefeated Michael “Venom” Page (14-0) takes on two-time Welterweight champion “Phenom” Douglas Lima (30-7). While they are only a year apart in age, there’s a wealth of experience under Lima’s record that “MVP” doesn’t come close to matching. Page however is a highlight-reel sensation with some of the flashiest and most spectacular finishes you’ll ever see. Speaking of undefeated fighters, Featherweight ace “Mercenary” A.J. McKee (13-0) is ready to prove he’s a contender for “Pitbull,” going up against former two-time world champion Pat Curran (23-7). Curran isn’t to be underestimated in this opportunity as he is currently on a three fight win streak, but McKee has knocked out five and submitted four of his 13 opponents. Like the aforementioned Page, he’s a spectacular in-ring showman. What’s Not: While former World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) professional wrestler Jake Hager (“Jack Swagger”) deserves his due for eschewing the squared circle to step into cage fighting; however, his last opponent was woefully unprepared for a man of Hager’s size with a legitimate amateur wrestling background. It doesn’t appear that the 1-1 T.J Jones will fare much better given he last fought in 2015 and was finished in just 46 seconds. It’s one thing to build up a star by giving him fights he can win, it’s another thing to give him fights he absolutely can’t lose. Original Card Vs. Actual Card: Everything outlined above is what Bellator first announced back in February. Tywan Claxton vs. James Bennett was a late addition to the main card ... and that’s about it. We have escaped the injury bug and avoided the dreaded last hour hernia all the way to this point, so please feel free to knock on wood as you read this paragraph if you’re a superstitious fella. Other than that, we’re in for an exciting card where even the “not hot” fights could over-deliver, with a small chance that Hager delivers such a spectacular knockout or submission that it gets people talking despite being such a huge mismatch. Take a look below at Bellator 221’s complete fight card lineup and start times below: Main Card (DAZN) — 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT Michael Chandler vs. Patricio Freire Douglas Lima vs. Michael Page A.J. McKee vs. Pat Curran Jake Hager vs. T.J. Jones Tywan Claxton vs. James Bennett “Prelims” Undercard (DAZN) — 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. PT Adil Benjilany vs. Cris Lencioni Scott Writz vs. Josh Streacker Bryan Bautista vs. Rob Fenicle Chris Gonzalez vs. Charlie Radtke James Bochnovic vs. Robert Morrow Adam Ward vs. Amartuvshin Khuukhenkhuu Jose Leon vs. Christian Rodriguez Dave Latoria vs. Jason Belyew Joey Diehl vs. Jesse Bazzi Here are all the ways to catch the action: Online Bellator 221: “Chandler vs. Pitbull” early “Prelims” can be viewed on DAZN via your MAC/PC, smartphone, or multiple other streaming devices. Subscriptions cost $9.99 per month for new app members eager to catch “Chandler vs. Pitbull” later this evening. Television Bellator 221 will be streamable online via DAZN. That’s it! Sign up today if you don’t want to miss “Chandler vs. Pitbull” in an epic title fight. Bars Dave & Buster’s is the official sports bar of Bellator MMA, but as this card is a DAZN exclusive, I wouldn’t guarantee they are carrying it. Nevertheless for a list of locations across the United States to find one in your area CLICK HERE. MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire Bellator 221 fight card, starting with DAZN “Prelims” undercard bouts at 6:30 p.m. ET before the main card start time at 9 p.m. ET also on DAZN.<doc-sep>
CHICAGO — Patricio Freire will look to become a Bellator two-weight champion on Saturday night, but he thinks the fight against Michael Chandler should have happened much sooner. Freire, the Bellator featherweight titleholder, meets Chandler, the lightweight champ, in the Bellator 221 main event at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL, USA, for Chandler’s title. “Pitbull” is looking forward to winning a second belt — and especially to simply getting his hand raised against Chandler — but he believes the promotion could have booked this bout far sooner than it did. “It’s a fight I believe should have happened a long time ago,” Freire told Bloody Elbow on Wednesday. “Perhaps Bellator and Viacom were waiting for him to get have the belt back and some of his shine back to make this fight finally happen. But I think they missed some opportunities to do it before.” Freire and Chandler have gone back and forth for years on social media and in interviews. Both are two of Bellator’s biggest faces for the company and their fight is looked at as one of the biggest in the promotion’s history. But after multiple requests to fight Chandler, the Brazilian moved on from a fight against him after it seemed it was never going to happen. Chandler lost the lightweight belt to Brent Primus at Bellator NYC in June 2017, and that’s when talks seemed to die down. Chandler was more focused on a rematch with Primus or a trip to 170 pounds. After consecutive wins, Chandler rematched Primus late last year and re-captured the title with a dominant victory; a superfight with Freire once again made sense. “Fighting against him is something that I never worried about — I wanted it, but never worried about it,” Freire said. “I had already given up after all these years and all these requests and the fight never happened. I was already tired [from] asking them to fight Chandler, so I had given up on it.” Freire has accused Chandler of performance-enhancing drug use ahead of Bellator 221, but Freire said his distaste toward the Hard Knocks 365 product stems from talk about Freire’s family. “He’s a fake, he lies, he acts like a different person, and he talks sh-t about people and their family,” Freire said of Chandler. “He talked sh-t about my family, and now he’s gonna have to pay for that. ... I’m gonna defend my family and rip his head off.” Not only has Freire been given an opportunity to win a second title, but he hasn’t had to cut as much weight for this fight. Freire said there are “several positive aspects” to fighting at 155 pounds, but couldn’t say whether or not he plans to stay in the new weight class after the Chandler fight, win or lose. “I’m naturally bigger, so I have to drain myself a little bit to remain at a lower weight so I can fight at featherweight,” Freire said. “This time I could be more near my natural weight — it was around 175 pounds — during the camp. As I was doing the last part of my camp in Arizona, I didn’t have the long flight from Brazil to the US, so I got here very well rested. I didn’t have to drain myself at all during this camp — very energetic and I’m feeling very well about it.” An impending featherweight tournament may give Freire incentive to return to 145 pounds, but his next step isn’t something he’s thinking about heading into the Chandler fight. “I fight for challenges,” Freire said. “If there’s something that picks up my attention, maybe I can go after that.” As always, if you enjoyed our interview, give us a shout out in the comments here on Bloody Elbow, or give us a “like”, share & subscribe over on one of our other BE Presents Channels: SoundCloud, YouTube, iTunes & Apple TV, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, blubrry, TuneIn, OverCast, or Player FM – whichever one happens to be your listening platform of choice. While you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe to Bloody Elbow Presents; that way you’ll always be the first to get all of BE’s daily MMA offerings. For previous episodes of the show, check out our playlists on all of our BE Presents channels.