Patrício Pitbull is on his way to the UFC at long last.
After months of being at odds with PFL executives over his frustration with limited fight opportunities, Pitbull was released from his contract last month, officially closing the chapter on his rocky tenure with the promotion.
The former Bellator featherweight champion has long expressed his eagerness to join the UFC, and that moment has finally arrived.
After a report from Japanese media outlet MMAPLANET that claimed Pitbull has signed with the UFC was deleted and branded a mistake, CEO Dana White confirmed just hours on that the Brazilian is indeed now under the organization's banner.
And the MMA legend already has his debut set, joining a stacked UFC 314 lineup in Miami on April 12 opposite former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodríguez.
The 37-year-old Brazilian last competed at Bellator Champions Series Belfast in March 2024, where he delivered a dominant third-round knockout victory over Jeremy Kennedy to successfully defend his title.
Pitbull spent the majority of his career dominating Bellator’s featherweight division, holding the championship on three separate occasions, while also briefly reigning as the promotion’s lightweight titleholder. He currently holds a professional record of 36-7, with 13 wins by knockout and 11 by submission.