Rafael Carvalho

FIGHTER DETAILS

NICKNAME

N/A

FIGHTING OUT OF

MIAMI, FLORIDA

FROM

CURITIBA, BRAZIL

AGE

37

HEIGHT

6'3

WEIGHT

205

REACH

78"

TEAM

RASTHAI MUAY THAI

MMA RECORD

( 17- 7 - 0) 

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BIO

Rafael Carvalho de Souza, born on July 27, 1986, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who has competed in the light heavyweight and middleweight divisions of Bellator MMA. He holds the distinction of being a former 3x defending Bellator Middleweight World Champion and the current Centurion FC Light Heavyweight Champion. Rafael is currently focused on obtaining the Ignite Fights Championship on April 14th.

Carvalho began his professional mixed martial arts journey on December 17, 2011, at Samurai FC 6, where he faced Julio Cesar Araujo Fernandes in his debut fight. Despite a loss in the first round, Carvalho rebounded and went on an impressive nine-fight unbeaten streak, capturing the Smash Fight middleweight championship along the way, before joining Bellator MMA.

His journey in Bellator MMA included notable victories and achievements. Carvalho won his promotional debut against Brian Rogers at Bellator 125 via TKO in the first round. He later faced kickboxing veteran Joe Schilling at Bellator 136, winning by split decision.

Carvalho's crowning moment came at Bellator 144 when he faced Brandon Halsey for the vacant Bellator Middleweight Championship. Despite a challenging first round, Carvalho secured a victory with a second-round body kick, becoming the first fighter to defeat Halsey.

Throughout his title reign, Carvalho defended his belt against tough opponents like Melvin Manhoef and Alessio Sakara. However, his reign came to an end when he faced MMA legend Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 200, losing via technical knockout in the first round.

After his departure from Bellator, Carvalho continued his journey, facing new challenges and opponents. Notably, he won the Centurion FC 16 title by defeating Marcelo Alfaya via unanimous decision on November 15, 2023.

Carvalho's achievements include winning the Bellator Middleweight World Championship once and securing three successful title defenses, tying him with Alexander Shlemenko for the most successful middleweight title defenses in Bellator history.

In addition to his MMA career, Carvalho has been recognized for his achievements, including being named MMA Junkie's Knockout of the Month in October 2015 for his victory over Brandon Halsey and winning the Smash Fight Middleweight Championship.

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