Patricio Pitbull vacates lightweight title; Peter Queally vs. Patricky Pitbull elevated to title fight at Bellator 270
There will be a new Bellator lightweight champion crowned when the promotion returns to Dublin next month.
Bellator president Scott Coker announced on Wednesday’s edition of The MMA Hour that Patricio Pitbull has vacated his 155-pound title and the vacant title will be on the line when Peter Queally and Patricky Pitbull compete for the second time as the new main event of Bellator 270.
The event takes place Nov. 5 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland and will air on Showtime.
The, now former, longtime lightweight champion made the decision to drop the title on his own in order for his brother to get a championship opportunity. In addition, Pitbull’s recent loss to A.J. McKee also weighed heavily on the choice.
“If I lost [the title] at 145 pounds, I can’t be the champion at 155,” Pitbull stated on The MMA Hour.
“The other side, I have my brother as No. 1 contender. If he keeps winning, he’s gonna fight for the belt and I’m not gonna fight my brother.”
Queally has won two straight fights, including a doctor’s stoppage second-round TKO win over Pitbull at May’s Bellator 258 event. The SBG Ireland standout also earned a second-round TKO win over Ryan Scope at Bellator 227.
Pitbull will look to keep the lightweight title in the family and snap a two-fight skid in the process. Prior to the loss to Queally, the 35-year-old had his seven-fight winning streak snapped at RIZIN 20 by Tofiq Musayev.
Bellator 270 will also feature a bantamweight grudge match between Patchy Mix and James Gallagher.