Patricio Pitbull and Michael Chandler have a score to settle, and they’ll do so at Bellator 221 in Chicago.
Bellator’s big weekend, with back-to-back events at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, is bringing with it some big news. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani broke the news Thursday that Bellator 221, going down on May 11 in Chicago, would bring with it a lightweight title fight when Patricio Pitbull (28–4) finally gets to settle a grudge against Michael Chandler (19–4). The featherweight champ will be moving up a weight class for the opportunity.
The rivalry between the pair began when Chandler knocked out Patricio’s brother Patricky under the Bellator banner back in 2016. All sorts of twitter lowlights followed, with Brazil’s Pitbull frequently accusing Chandler of performance enhancing drug use.
Chandler, however, was focused on life after losing the lightweight title to Brent Primus at Bellator NYC. Primus, for his part, did not fight between winning the belt in June 2017, until this past December. Chandler won the rematch via unanimous decision, and reclaimed the title in the process.
On his end, Pitbull (properly Patricio Freire) has won three straight starting with reclaiming his title from Daniel Straus in 2017.
Also on the Bellator 221 card, which takes place at the Allstate Arena, will be former WWE champion Jake Hager, better known as Jack Swagger. Hager/Swagger won his Bellator debut last month at Bellator 214, finishing J.W. Kiser with ease. As well, the welterweight grand prix semi-finals will see Douglas Lima take on the winner of this weekend’s Paul Daley vs. Michael ‘Venom’ Page quarter-final bout.
