Pitbull submits Sanchez to retain Bellator featherweight title

Patricio "Pitbull" Freire is headed to the Bellator Featherweight Grand Prix final.

Freire submitted Emmanuel Sanchez with a guillotine at 3:35 of the first round to retain his featherweight title in the Bellator 255 main event Friday in Uncasville, Connecticut.

With the victory, Freire advances to the tournament final and will defend his belt against AJ McKee later in 2021.

Freire dropped Sanchez with a left hand two minutes into the bout. When Sanchez returned to his feet, Freire locked in a guillotine and choked the challenger unconscious.

Earlier in the contest, Freire landed a solid combination, and Sanchez scored with leg kicks.

This was a rematch from a 2018 title bout, which Freire won by unanimous decision.

Freire extended his winning streak to seven with his second victory over Sanchez. Sanchez's three-fight winning streak came to an end.