Dana White says that former Bellator champion Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire has a massive opportunity ahead of his after signing with the UFC.

Pitbull, the former three-time Bellator featherweight champion and one-time lightweight champion, was confirmed as the most recent addition to the UFC’s 145-pound fold in recent days, with the Brazilian ending a longtime association with Bellator (which is now operated by the PFL).

It was swiftly confirmed that Pitbull’s debut will come against the former UFC interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 in Miami, Florida on April 12 — and after speaking to the 43-fight veteran, White said that he was interested in seeing what the Brazilian can do in the UFC ranks.

“A phone call with him [convinced us to sign him],” White told the media, including The Mac Life, following last weekend’s UFC event in Seattle, Washington.

“I think that obviously he’s going to get the opportunity now to come in and challenge himself against the best in the world, and no matter where he’s at in his career, beating Yair is a big deal. If he comes and he beats Yair, I don’t know, we’ll see how this thing plays out. But massive opportunity for him, and we’re excited to give him it.”

Pitbull is arguably the most iconic fighter in Bellator history and holds wins over the likes of Michael Chandler, AJ McKee and Adam Borics. His last fight under the Bellator banner came last April in Belfast, Northern Ireland where he defeated the Canadian (former UFC fighter) Jeremy Kennedy by third-round TKO.