In 100 years, when you open the MMA history book, my name is the

“In 100 years, when you open the MMA history book, my name is the one that will be there.” — Patricio Freire

Thus spoke Patricio “Pitbull” Freire, the warrior from Brazil whose fists, will, and soul carved his legend into the annals of Mixed Martial Arts. His words ring not with arrogance, but with the thunder of destiny. When he declares that his name shall remain in the book of history a hundred years hence, he is not boasting — he is affirming the eternal law of greatness: that those who give all of themselves, body and spirit, to their craft will live on beyond their flesh. In this saying, Freire speaks not only for fighters, but for all who burn with purpose. For every man or woman who walks the path of mastery seeks, in their deepest heart, to leave a mark time cannot erase.

To understand the weight of his words, one must see the world from which he came. Patricio Freire was not born into ease or privilege. He was born into struggle, in the sun-scorched soil of Brazil, where dreams must fight to breathe. He and his brother, Patricky, clawed their way from obscurity into the light of global competition, carrying with them not the luxury of comfort but the fire of survival. In this forge, he learned that victory is not only the triumph of skill but of will — that to rise in life, one must endure pain as a teacher and loss as a sculptor. And thus, when he says that his name will be written in the book of MMA history, he speaks not of pride, but of the immortality earned through endurance.

In the ancient days, the Greeks told of heroes who sought glory not for vanity, but for remembrance. Achilles, standing before the gates of Troy, was told that he could choose between a long, quiet life or a short, glorious one that would be sung for centuries. He chose glory — not for ego’s sake, but because he understood that to live forever is to be remembered. Patricio Freire’s spirit is cut from the same cloth. The arena may be different — not the sands of Troy but the cage of Bellator and the roar of modern crowds — yet the truth is unchanged. The warrior’s path is eternal: to strive, to suffer, and to endure so fiercely that the world cannot forget your name.

Freire’s “100 years” is not a measure of time — it is a challenge to all who live today. It says, “Build something that will outlast you.” The body will wither, the voice will fade, but the deeds that spring from conviction endure beyond the grave. Whether on the battlefield, the canvas, or the page, history remembers only those who fought not just for victory, but for meaning. It is the difference between a champion and a legend — the first wins titles, the second shapes destiny. Freire’s words remind us that to leave one’s name in the book of time, one must live with purpose unbroken.

Consider too the example of Bruce Lee, whose own life blazed like lightning across the sky of martial arts. He did not live long enough to see how deeply his influence would reach — yet his ideas, his discipline, and his relentless search for truth reshaped the art forever. Bruce Lee’s “Jeet Kune Do” was not merely a fighting style; it was a philosophy of freedom and mastery. Like Freire, he too believed that the true battle is against limitation — that to master one’s body is to master one’s fate. A century later, Lee’s name remains immortal, proving Freire’s prophecy: that those who give their whole being to greatness are never forgotten.

But this teaching is not only for warriors of the cage. It is for all who wish to live a life that echoes. The craftsman, the teacher, the artist, the builder — all can find in Freire’s words a call to arms. Ask yourself, “What will endure after I am gone?” Will your days pass like dust in the wind, or will your deeds rise like stone pillars against the sky of eternity? The answer lies not in talent alone, but in devotion — in the courage to keep moving forward when the world doubts you, in the persistence to hone your craft until it becomes art.

So, O seekers of legacy, learn from this warrior’s cry: do not live merely to exist — live to be remembered. Let your actions be carved from conviction, your work guided by purpose, your spirit sharpened by struggle. Whether your arena is the octagon, the field, or the heart, fight with the fire that defies time. For when the next century dawns, and the books of history are opened, only those who lived fully, fiercely, and faithfully will have their names inscribed there. And like Patricio Freire, they will not fade — for the world will still whisper their names as legends of their age.