Pat Curran after choking out Shabulat Shamhalaev (photo via Bellator.com)

By FCF Staff

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire will have to wait even longer to get a second shot at Pat Curran, as Bellator has announced that the featherweight champ has injured his calf. As a result, Curran has been forced to withdraw from his June 6th bout with Freire, which was set to go down in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

“I’ve been training incredibly hard for this fight by pushing myself to my absolute limits in training,” Curran said in a press release from the promotion. “Unfortunately during some conditioning drills, I suffered a bad calf strain that has halted my training for one of the biggest fights of my career. I have my sights set on getting back into the cage as soon as possible with July in mind, but I want to be 100% healthy heading into that cage to smash Pitbull.”

Since “Pitbull” lost a split decision to Curran in January, 2013, the accomplished featherweight has won four straight bouts to lock up another title shot.

Curran lost the title to Daniel Strauss, shortly before Freire won another tourney last November, but the vet was granted an immediate rematch in March. Curran won that fight with a late, fifth round, rear-naked-choke.