Rafael Carvalho om matchen mot Joe Schilling: “It will enter the history of Bellator”

Rafael Carvalho (10-1) kommer ta sig an Joe Schilling (2-3) på Bellator 136 på fredag och Carvalho är säker på att det är en match som kommer att utspela sig stående.

Carvalho tror inte att matchen kommer hamna på mattan och han är säker på att det kommer bli en väldigt underhållande match.

“I don’t even have half the muay Thai bouts he has,” berättade Carvalho för MMAjunkie. “It will be a true battle, from start to end. Our fight won’t go to the ground. We’ll both be on our feet, as will the audience. Don’t blink. Don’t miss a single punch. I’m very determined to win this fight. And I’m sure he’s equally determined. So we’re going to put on a show. It will enter the history of Bellator. We’re both giving our best, and whoever is best prepared will win.”

Det först tänkt att Brian Rogers (11-7) skulle möta Brett Cooper (20-11) på Bellator 125, men Cooper skadade sig och Carvalho ersatte och vann matchen, men det var inte utan svårigheter.

“I think I surprised a lot of people,” sa Carvalho. “I was originally scheduled for the (preliminary card). All of a sudden, I was promoted to the main card, to the co-main event, against one of Bellator’s top-ranked fighters. For sure, from the matchmaker’s and the public’s point of view, I was the underdog. No one knew me in America. It was a trial by fire. Thankfully I managed a beautiful victory.”

Carvalho kände att hans grappling och wrestling inte alls var på den nivån som krävs och beslutade sig, efter sin enda förlust, att jobba på sina svagheter och se sig om efter bättre träning.

“I was still getting used to the world of MMA,” sa Carvalho. “I was truly lacking in wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I didn’t yet have a solid grappling base nor a good training structure.”

“In the locker room, right after that one loss, I made a commitment to never lose again, to anyone. So I started looking for the right kind of training. That was not available at my original academy. I started visiting other schools, without permission of my original instructor. I was looking to improve myself.”