Patricio Freire Will Reach Bantamweight Division with Featherweight Power

Nicknamed the “fighting scientist” by Patricio
Freire, Francisco “Chikão”’ Freitas is the man behind the
Bellator champion’s move to bantamweight.

A nutritionist, physiologist and physical trainer, Freitas
discussed how Freire reached 145 pounds three weeks ahead of
schedule in his weight cut. Already the reigning 145-pound
champion, Freire is scheduled to challenge Sergio
Pettis for bantamweight gold at Bellator 297.

“Actually, since the [Adam] Borics fight when Bellator started to
consider the bantamweight belt as a possibility, we started to
change his whole preparation to make it an easy weight cut process.
And when you work with a hard worker and focused champion like
Patricio, every goal turns out easier,”Freitas revealed.

Freire’s measurements have impressed Freitas.

“I’ve been working with Patricio for the last five years,” Freitas
said. I have all his numbers noted from every camp. His power, his
hormones and the whole physiologic process … I can attest it’s one
of his best camps. There is no difference from what he did in the
camp for [Michael] Chandler. He will reach the bantamweight
division on June 16 with a featherweight’s power.”

Freitas revealed that his plans are to have Freire weighing between
150 and 154 pounds by the time he steps in the cage on fight
night.

“I dont want him to be heavier than that so he doesn’t lose speed,”
Freitas said.

Freitas, who has experience training names like Lyoto
Machida, Renan Barao,
Deiveson
Figueiredo, Bethe
Correia, Jussier
Formiga and Ronny
Markes, did not discard the possibility of Freire eventually
moving to Bellator’s newly-added flyweight division.

“Let´s see how he will perform in bantamweight first. As I said,
the goal cannot be to lose weight, the goal must be to lose weight
without losing performance,” he said. “For everything he is showing
in the camp, I have no doubt he will get this third belt and write
his name in MMA history once again as bantamweight. And when you
are talking about a guy like Patricio
Freire, I learned to never doubt his goals.”