Patricky Freire Says He’s A Dangerous Opponent For Josh Thomson

Patricky Freire is one half of the co-main event for this weekends Bellator 172 event, where he will be battling former Strikeforce Lightweight Champion Josh Thomson.

Thomson has already earned two wins under the Bellator MMA banner, but Freire believes that he’s the most dangerous opponent Thomson has faced thus far in the promotion.

“He has wins in Bellator, but everyone knows this is the first time he’ll be facing someone dangerous in this organization,” Freire said to MMA Junkie. “I can put him in danger either on the feet or on the ground. He is a known fighter with loyal fans. He’s a big name in MMA and deserves a lot of respect. But (Saturday) will be my night.”

Thomson has started making waves about challenging for the Bellator MMA Lightweight Title, which is held right now by Michael Chandler.

As for Freire, he has spent the majority of his professional MMA career in the promotion, something that makes the lightweight contender happy.

“I hadn’t taken the time to think about how many fights I have in Bellator. I’m up to 16. That’s a lot of fights,” Freire said. “It makes me happy to have fans who admire my work, who like the way I fight – aggressively.”

Bellator 172 takes place on Saturday, February 18 from the SAP Center in San Jose, California with Fedor Emelianenko and Matt Mitrione headlining.