Opponent switches aren’t always ideal, but Bellator lightweight contender Patricky Freire doesn’t seem too broken up about the way things have turned out for him.

After Freire’s original opponent, fellow Brazilian Goiti Yamauchi, had to drop out of Sept. 21’s Bellator 205 due to injury, Freire (19-8 MMA, 12-7 BMMA) ended up paired with veteran Roger Huerta (24-10-1 MMA, 1-3 BMMA). And he’s not mad at the matchup ahead.

“I’ve always wanted to fight Roger Huerta,” Freire told MMAjunkie shortly after finding out about his new foe.

By the time Freire had his Bellator debut, back in 2011, Huerta had competed for them three times – including a headliner opposite Eddie Alvarez. While Freire stayed, turning himself into one of Bellator’s most recognizable faces, Huerta would go on to leave shortly afterward. And the two never got a chance to meet in the cage.

Freire’s desire to face Huerta, though, “never went way.”

“I’ve always wanted to test myself with these guys whom I saw on television before signing with a big promotion,” Freire said. “And to get the pleasure to beat them up is the best thing there is. To have the pleasure to be tested and to beat them up.”

The momentum is on Freire’s side heading into the Paramount-televised main card bout, which takes place at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. After a knockout loss to ex-champ and long-standing foe Michael Chandler at Bellator 157 in June 2016, the heavier “Pitbull” – his brother, Patricio Freire, now holds the promotion’s featherweight title – went on to take three consecutive wins, over Josh Thomson, Benson Henderson and Derek Campos.

On his end, Huerta, who had most of his post-Bellator fights under the ONE Championship banner, has lost three out of his past five bouts. The 35-year-old recently had his first winning streak in years halted when he returned to the promotion, back in April, for a Bellator 196 headliner with Benson Henderson. Huerta lost via second-round submission.

Freire is aware that Huerta’s recent run hasn’t been the best. But, at the same time, he believes Huerta is a “big name,” who has weapons os his own. And the Brazilian is adamant in that he’s in no way looking past his competition.

“We have seen guys who were far inferior, who were massive underdogs in fights, who ended up knocking out big idols,” Freire said. “I don’t want to go through that – I don’t want to underestimate my opponent. I don’t want to overlook him.”

But Freire’s desire, he reiterates, is to “beat him up.” And hopefully, amid the messy situation that’s been taking place in the division since Michael Chandler was dethroned by Brent Primus almost 15 months ago, that will qualify Freire to make his next goal happen.

“I want to fight for the belt until the end of the year and close the year out on a high note,” Freire said. “I want to accomplish that feat. I also want to make history. To take the opportunity to, since my brother is the champion, to be a champion too. And have two brothers being world champions, simultaneously. That would be perfect.”

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