MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 12: Dan Ige of the United States reacts after defeating Sean Woodson of the … More
The only featherweight matchup on the UFC 318 pay-per-view fight card finds the No. 12 ranked Dan Ige matched up against former Bellator two-division champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. We preview that 145-pound scrap, looking at the betting odds, line movement, picks, and predictions for the pivotal Ige vs. Freire scrap.
UFC 318 features a trilogy bout in the main event, as Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier meet in the PPV headliner. Holloway’s symbolic BMF title is on the line. Meanwhile, the fight is expected to be Poirier’s retirement bout.
UFC 318 takes place on Saturday, July 19, at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The UFC 318 main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.
UFC 318 Fight Card Preview: Dan Ige Vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire
MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 12: Dan Ige reacts after a victory against Sean Woodson in a featherweight … More
Dan Ige (19-9) earned a UFC contract during Season 3 of Dana White’s Contender Series, which took place in 2017.
Ige opened his UFC career with a decision loss to Julio Arce in early 2018. He put that loss behind him and went unbeaten in his next six outings. That stretch of victories secured him the No. 10 spot in the official UFC featherweight rankings, and a UFC Fight Night main event matchup against the No. 6 ranked Calvin Kattar in July 2020. Kattar won that scrap via unanimous decision.
Since facing Kattar, Ige is 5-6 in the UFC. He has faced tough competition during that stretch and proven to be a game competitor. Ige raised his profile in 2024 when he agreed to meet Diego Lopes on the UFC 303 pay-per-view card on a few hour’s notice. While Ige lost to Lopes in that fight, which served as the PPV co-main event, he took the rising Lopes the distance in an entertaining battle.
Ige followed his loss to Lopes with a decision setback to Lerone Murphy at UFC 308. He is coming off a third-round knockout win over Sean Woodson at UFC 314.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – APRIL 12: Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire of Brazil battles Yair Rodriguez of Mexico in a … More
Freire (36-7) spent the bulk of his career under the Bellator banner. He made his promotional debut on the Bellator 15 card in April 2010. Freire first fought for the Bellator featherweight belt in 2013, losing by decision to Pat Curran. He got his revenge on Curran in September 2014, winning the belt via decision.
Freire defended his title twice before dropping a decision to Daniel Straus in November 2015. He regained the belt in 2017, submitting Straus via guillotine. Freire defended the title twice before adding the Bellator lightweight title to his trophy case.
Freire’s May 2019 TKO win over Michael Chandler earned him the Bellator 155-pound belt.
Freire defended his featherweight crown three times as a two-division champ before losing a July 2021 submission to A.J. McKee. He never put the lightweight belt up for grabs, vacating the title in October 2021.
The featherweight crown returned to Freire’s mantle in April 2022 when he defeated McKee via decision. Freire defended the belt twice in his third stint as the 145-pound champ. His most recent fight was a March 2024 TKO win over Jeremy Kennedy in a title defense.
Freire also dropped to bantamweight for a 2023 title shot against Sergio Pettis. Pettis won that contest via decision.
In December, Freire told MMA Junkie he wanted to be done with Bellator, which the PFL purchased in November 2023. He signed with the UFC as a free agent in February 2025.
Freire lost an uninspired unanimous decision to former interim UFC featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314.
UFC 318 Fight Card Betting Lines And Movement: Dan Ige Vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire
When the betting lines opened for this fight, Ige was the -130 betting favorite over the +110 Freire. The line has shifted in favor of Ige. Today, he is listed at -200, while Freire checks in at +170.
UFC 318 Fight Card Tale Of The Tape: Dan Ige Vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire
Dan Ige
Age: 33
Height: 5’7”
Reach: 71”
Stance: Orthodox
Patricio “Pitbull” Freire
Age: 38
Height: 5’6”
Reach: 67”
Stance: Orthodox
UFC 318 Fight Card Predictions And Picks: Dan Ige Vs. Patricio “Pitbull” Freire
The UFC matchmakers did a nice job assembling this matchup. The results will inform the fans the promotion, just what they can expect from an aging Freire. While the Rodriguez fight showed that Freire will not be a threat for a UFC title, this contest will let everyone know if Freire has what it takes, at this point in his career, to compete against ranked competition in the UFC’s featherweight division.
Ige is a tough and resilient fighter, who will get after it against Freire, and that aggression should be enough to carry Ige to a decision win against Freire, who did not show much against Rodriguez in his high-profile UFC debut.
We will have more on the UFC 318 Johnson vs. Zellhuber bout as fight night nears, as well as live results, reactions, highlights and more for the UFC 318 pay-per-view card on fight night.
