Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho wants a super-fight.
And he wants it vs. Chael Sonnen.
Carvalho, unbeaten in his last 14 pro fights and 5-0 with Bellator, called out Sonnen. He is a teammate of Wanderlei Silva, who dropped a decision to Sonnen in the recent Bellator NYC main event.
“I want to challenge Sonnen. Instead of doing another title defense, make this super-fight,” he said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “He only has that wrestling game, and I believe that after I defend his first three takedowns, he won’t shoot anymore. I’ll be honest with you, nothing he did (against Silva) surprised me. Standing and trading with Wanderlei is not for everyone, and Sonnen is not stupid. He realized that when he tried and almost got knocked out.”
Sonnen, who competed for both UFC middleweight and light heavyweight gold prior to signing with Bellator, has split his two fights with the promotion.
Carvalho, meanwhile, believes he has the right technique and power to finish off Sonnen before the final bell sounds.
“With a knee. In the third round,” Carvalho said of a potential fight vs. Sonnen. “I would induce him to go for a takedown and I would find an opening for my knee.”
