UFC Newcomer Accuses Two Ex-Champions of Ducking Him

Pitbull, a former Bellator MMA legend, divulged to MMA Fighting , “All of a sudden, they asked if I would fight Sterling in March. I said, I’m in, but he ran. Then they offered me Yair Rodriguez, but he didn’t respond.”

Freire was eventually matched up with former interim featherweight champion Rodriguez. His debut will take place at UFC 314: Volkanovski vs. Lopes.

Sterling has responded to these accusations, denying that he avoided the fight. He explained that he was recovering from an injury sustained during his bout against Movsar Evloev in December 2024, which made him unavailable for the proposed fight with Pitbull.

Pitbull’s move comes after a long period of inactivity. His last fight was in March 2023, when he knocked out UFC veteran Jeremy Kennedy in the third round. After that, he was sidelined for months and eventually asked for his release from the PFL, which was granted.

With his UFC debut locked in, Pitbull is already making waves. The question remains, however, whether or not he will back up his talk when he steps into the Octagon.