Patricio Pitbull has been atop the Bellator mountain before.
In fact, he was champion in two divisions at the same time.
Now, though, the veteran is the hunter instead of the hunted.
Pitbull will challenge A.J. McKee for the featherweight title Friday night at Bellator 277. The event airs live on Showtime.
Last July, McKee scored a first round technical submission victory over Pitbull to win the title and the Bellator Featherweight World Grand Prix.
“My rivalry is against anyone that wants to put their hands on me. He has my belt, and I want to take it back,” Pitbull said. “I don’t care about (being an underdog). The last fight I was the favorite, and I lost the fight.”
Prior to that, he had reeled off seven consecutive wins, including title-winning performances over Daniel Straus and Michael Chandler.
“I’ve been in this game since 2004. When I lost the belt (to AJ) the first day I got to Brazil I started training again,” he said. “Of course I wasn’t training like a madman. I’m 34 years old. That last strategy was thrown out the window and I’m training for a new strategy. I’ve trained to be a lot smarter in this fight.”
