Patricio Pitbull made sure everyone knew he no longer wanted to be with the version of Bellator owned by PFL. So, officials with the promotion finally released the now-former Bellator featherweight king from his contract. Clearing the way for him to fight elsewhere.
The Bellator legend has made it known he wants to compete in the UFC. And, despite his age, one would believe the promotion has interest as well. Assuming Pitbull signs with the UFC in the coming days, here are four potential dream opponents for him to face inside the Octagon.
Aljamain Sterling

What does the UFC do with Aljamain Sterling? The former champion is kind of stuck right now, so a matchup with a debuting Pitbull would come at a perfect time. Win, and he proves himself against a former titleholder. But a loss by Sterling would likely seal his fate in the UFC. And at the same time, really pushes Pitbull towards the top of the list of contenders in the division.
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Yair Rodriguez

Yair Rodriguez has been oh-so-close to achieving greatness, even holding the interim featherweight title. He came up short in hopes of winning the undisputed belt last year and is coming off a tough submission loss to Brian Ortega. Taking out someone like Pitbull would definitely cement his standing back near the top of the division. A fight between the Bellator great and Rodriguez would make for a tremendous headline bout in Mexico.
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Alexander Volkanovski

This is a fight Pitbull has shown great interest in. Tweeting out a simple “Hi” message on X while tagging Alexander Volkanovski. The former UFC champion has yet to return since losing his title, but he remains one of the best in the game today. The technical skills of Volkanovski matched up with the ultra-toughness from Pitbull would definitely bring in fight fans. And it would create a former champion vs. former champion matchup.
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Ilia Topuria

How about a “champion vs. champion” match with Ilia Topuria? While Patricio Pitbull would not technically enter the match with a belt, the UFC could definitely prop him up as a reigning world champion.
Topuria has looked dominant in disposing of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. This booking could also make the UFC look that much better than Bellator/PFL if their champion can mop the floor with their titleholder.