Former champion Muay Thai expert Raphael Carvalho, who is a five-year veteran in the Velator middleweight division and received three successful title defenses on the belt, is preparing to move weight classes for the first time in 19 professional MMA careers. Velator 230.
Kavalu, competing with 27-year-old Sambo world champion Vadim Nemkov, said that changes in the scale are mostly affected by health and exercise, resulting in poor body performance. Cut to 185 lbs.
“My performance has affected department changes. My body was asking for it, and I was sacrificing too much with weight loss. My performance is only half. It affected me but I was already thinking about it for a while. "
Although an ex-championer with an exciting knockout under the banner of Bellator, Carvalho doesn't even think that the time spent in the middleweight division will make a short road to the light heavyweight title, and he doesn't want what 33 years old wants. Yes, it is.
“I don't think it's a shorter road because I'm a middleweight champion. I think I have to go through the same work that I did in the middleweight department. Do not rush step by step. Always respect someone ahead of me and show me why I'm worth it. I just can't get there, and I think I will win one fight and have a title shot. You have to go slow and put into the work of this department. ”
Regarding the fight itself, Carvalho thinks that the style clash against Nemkov is interesting, but it is unpredictable for all the potential possibilities, and all the possibilities open up the fight night.
“The preparation was excellent. Everything went as planned. We sharpened our muay thai and kept our wrestling and jiu-jitsu up to date. I'm ready and this Sambo vs. Muay Thai style clash will be exactly interesting because it's a completely opposite style. We will see how it unfolds on a fight night. ”
Before moving to the light heavyweight, Rafael Carvalho (16-3) unanimously regained victory in July in a 190 catch-weight fight with Chid Njokuani to test the water outside the middleweight. The victory brought skids lost in two battles, defeated by Brazilian veterans Lyoto Machida and Gegard Mousasi.
Now Rafael Carvalho is expected to take over Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 230's main event in Milan, Italy on October 12, which happens just before another Bellator event in Bellator Milan scheduled for the same night. Headline into a light heavyweight fight between Melvin Manhoef and Yannick Bahati.