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This fight was originally supposed to headline a Bellator card in March before the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down.
The resumption of the Bellator MMA featherweight tournament is just under two months away.
MMA Fighting reported on Tuesday that reigning two-division champion Patricio “Pitbull” Freire will defend his title against SBG Ireland’s Pedro Carvalho at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. This matchup also doubles as a quarterfinal bout, with the winner facing either Emmanuel Sanchez or Daniel Weichel in the semifinals.
Pitbull (30-4) prevailed in the opening round of this 16-man field with a decision victory over current bantamweight champion Juan Archuleta. The Brazilian has won five straight since a freak leg injury prematurely ended his bout with Benson Henderson. As a simultaneous titleholder at 145 and 155 lbs, Freire is widely considered one of the greatest Bellator fighters of all-time and one of the top names regardless of promotion.
Carvalho (11-3) has won six straight, including his tournament opener against Sam Sicilia back last September. He also holds a TKO win over lightweight veteran Derek Campos, and is otherwise undefeated inside the Bellator cage.
Freire and Carvalho were supposed to meet on March 13th in Uncasville before the COVID-19 pandemic put Bellator’s entire schedule on pause. Now their showdown is back on for this fall, and it’ll be on CBS Sports Network instead of Paramount Network.
