Patricio Freire has zeroed in on Youssef Zalal as the opponent he wants next in the UFC.
Coming off a loss to Aaron Pico at UFC 327 in April, the 39-year-old Freire is looking to quickly reset after starting his UFC run at 1-2, with an overall MMA record of 37-9.
"It’d be a great birthday present to get my next fight date today," Freire said on Tuesday, before issuing a direct challenge: "@TheMorocanDevil let’s fight."
Freire made it clear why Zalal, 18-6-1 in MMA and 8-4-1 in the UFC, is at the top of his list. "He’s been in exciting fights and these are the kinds of fights I’m looking for," Freire said.
Zalal is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Aljamain Sterling in April, which snapped a five-fight winning streak he put together after being cut from the promotion in 2022 and returning in 2024.
Freire, widely regarded as the greatest fighter in Bellator history, joined the UFC after his former promotion folded into PFL. In the Octagon, he has dropped bouts to Yair Rodriguez and Aaron Pico, with a win over Dan Ige in between.
Reflecting on his UFC tenure so far, Freire added: "I didn’t like how my first two fights in the UFC went and I want the audience to be entertained. He’s young and ranked, that’s the kind of fight that could help me climb the rankings. He’s well rounded but likes to strike. Same as me. It’d be fireworks."
