Former Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho is starting a new chapter in his mixed martial arts career, with his first test as a light heavyweight set for Saturday night in Milan, Italy. Carvalho (16-3 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) headlines the Bellator 230 portion of the card against Russian light heavyweight contender Vadim Nemkov in an acid test of the Brazilian’s credentials as an elite 205-pounder. Carvalho captured the Bellator middleweight title at Bellator 144 in October 2015 and went on to defend the title three times before losing his belt to Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 200 in 2018. A split-decision loss to Lyoto Machida followed, and while he righted the ship with a win over Chidi Njokuani, the Brazilian missed weight for the contest. Now he has decided to move up to 205 pounds and make inroads toward a second Bellator title. His first test is a significant one
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