Patricio Freire still has his eyes on the prize.
Freire (38-9 MMA, 2-2 UFC) returned to the win column with a first-round knockout of Dooho Choi at UFC 331 in Los Angeles. The former two-division Bellator champion has now split his first four UFC appearances.
At 39, Freire insists that he has plenty of fight left in him. Not only that, but he's confident he has what it takes to make a title run.
"The age of the champs has changed a little bit, but recently we've seen most of the title holders were over 35 years old," Freire told MMA Junkie through an interpreter. "And size has come a long way and the way we perform, the way that we train. That gives us longevity, the ones who take care of themselves. So yes, I see myself making another title run.
I still feel like I have a lot in the tank and that's what I'm pursuing."
"Pitbull" admits that his job could have been on the line if he didn't perform against Choi, especially after seeing fellow ex-Bellator fighter Michael Page's fate.
"For sure, the UFC can even let go of fighters coming off wins as you can see many times if they're not pleased with what they're seeing," Freire said. "So that was in the back of my mind. I knew I had to perform because if you're an organization and you don't like to see how a fighter is performing, you're not keeping him.
"So I knew I didn't just have to win – I needed to perform. But the main factor was myself, how I would feel with how the fight went, because I wasn't even 1 percent satisfied with all my three performances in the UFC before that. I'm my biggest judge. I analyze everything, I value everything, and I wasn't feeling it. So it wasn't just about the UFC. It was mostly if I would be satisfied with myself with how this fight went."
Freire called out Jean Silva after the win, but knows that likely won't happen. He has now turned his attention to other top contenders, and wants to fight one more time before the end of the year.
"Jean Silva is the main guy that I have on my radar right now, but I know that he has a different reality than me," Freire said. "He's in a different place in the division right now. There are other names, of course, that I think about like Arnold Allen, Steve Garcia. Steve doesn't have a fight right now and Allen is injured, so Steve might make more sense. These are some guys I believe would be great fights for me."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Patricio Freire sees himself making UFC title run: 'I have a lot in the tank'
