Patricio Freire Has His Sights Set on Daniel Straus

Patricio Freire spoke with MMAjunkie about his fight with Benson Henderson at Bellator 160 and more. Some highlights are below:

On a fight with Michael Chandler: “Bellator announced that with a win over Benson Henderson, I’d next face Chandler for the lightweight belt. I didn’t know about that when I accepted the bout, but I like the idea. If (Daniel) Straus (featherweight champion) comes back first, I’d rather get my featherweight belt first, and then face Chandler. I have no plans regarding the lightweight class if I don’t win this fight. I’m going up for a super fight against Henderson. If I win, I would not pass up the opportunity to fight for that belt and beat Chandler. But Patricky is a lightweight and I’m confident he can defeat Chandler in a rematch. He could be a dominant champion. And (our teammate) Gleristone Santos, who should have been judged the winner against Brent Primus (at Bellator 153), is also in the weight class. So, we’ll think about one thing at a time. My focus now is on Ben Henderson. My primary objective is Daniel Straus and I very much want to beat up Michael Chandler. But I’ll worry about those two later.”

On his win over Henry Corrales: “I wasn’t happy with my last fight. The mat was very slippery. I did slip a few times and was not able to let my game go. But I was never in danger and had my hand raised. That’s what matters in the end. Not being the champion bothers me, and I’d like the chance to resolve this as soon as possible. I defeated Straus twice and should have done it the third time. All credit goes to him. I let my pride get the best of me, and I did exactly what he wanted. I won’t let that happen again.”

On Henderson: “Henderson is a very tough fighter, very experienced, and very high-level. It will be a great test for me. A win over him will make people see my accomplishments with other eyes, as well as recognize the level of Bellator’s fighters. I believe that the way in which I deal with distance will define my success in this fight. I have to be able to close in at the right time, avoid his strikes, and make sure he feels mine. At short distance, I have the advantage. But he’s good at staying in middle or long distance. I’m preparing to fight at any distance and be effective anywhere. It will be a very active and strategic fight. I trust in the work my team does, and in our strategy. I believe I can win before it gets to the judges.”