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The highly anticipated showdown between Patricio Pitbull and Jesus Pinedo has been scrapped from the upcoming PFL vs. Bellator event, leaving fans disappointed and speculating on the future of both fighters.
The PFL announced on Saturday, revealing that the featherweight clash between Pitbull, a Bellator legend and reigning featherweight champion, and Pinedo, a rising star with an impressive 2023 campaign, would no longer take place. The withdrawal of Pinedo from the card, scheduled for Feb. 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, came without explanation.
The sudden cancellation leaves Pitbull in limbo as he waits to snap the first losing streak of his storied career. In his last two outings, Pitbull faced setbacks, falling short in his bid for a third division championship against Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis, followed by a surprising knockout loss to Chihiro Suzuki at a catchweight bout in July 2023.
As for Pinedo, his withdrawal from the bout puts a halt to his momentum following his victory in the PFL featherweight tournament in 2023. The reasons behind his withdrawal remain undisclosed, leaving fans wondering about his future in the sport.
With Pitbull's immediate future uncertain and Pinedo's sudden absence from the spotlight, questions arise regarding the potential rescheduling of the bout or the search for new opponents for both fighters. The impact of this cancellation reverberates across the MMA community, leaving fans eagerly awaiting updates and hopeful for the eventual return of these two talented athletes to the cage.
Meanwhile, in a silver lining for fight fans, the PFL announced a lightweight bout between boxing sensation Claressa Shields and Kelsey DeSantis, now set at 165 pounds, offering an intriguing matchup to fill the void left by Pitbull vs. Pinedo.