Rafael Carvalho made a statement in his Bellator debut last year when he defeated Brian Rogers by TKO in the first round at Bellator 125.
Carvalho (10-1) has won ten fights in a row since dropping his professional debut in 2011 and nine of his wins have come by TKO/KO.
At Bellator 136 tomorrow night, he will look to take a big step towards a potential title shot in the Bellator middleweight division as he will meet striking specialist Joe Schilling in the co-main event of the fight card. While he was happy with the victory over Rogers, he is expecting a better performance against Schilling.
“My next fight is going to be better,” Carvalho told The MMA Report through a translator. “Don’t blink because this will be a very aggressive fight.”
Due to the depth of the Bellator middleweight division, this fight could be viewed as a number one contenders bout. Current champion Brandon Halsey will be making his first title defense next month against Kendall Grove. Carvalho does not view this as a number one contenders bout as he will fight anyone that Bellator puts in front of him.
“I do not chose the opponent,” he said. “I am an employee of Bellator and I will fight everyone.”
While Carvalho stated he did not know how he is going to defeat Schilling, he knows that he will walk away with a victory. If he has a performance against Schilling like he did against Rogers, his chance at the 185 pound title could be coming soon than he may think.