Pedro Carvalho was moments away from the biggest fight of his career. Then everything was shut down.
Carvalho (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) was scheduled to challenge featherweight champion Patricio Freire in the featherweight grand prix quarterfinals at Bellator 241. But just hours before the event, the promotion decided to postpone the show due to the growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.
Despite not knowing when he’ll get to fight next, Carvalho remains confident that he will fulfill his destiny, regardless.
“I’m not frustrated at all,” Carvalho told MMA Junkie. “Of course, when I found out that the fight was canceled it was rough. But I’m not frustrated. I will become world champion. It doesn’t matter if it’s March 13 or if it will be end of this year. It doesn’t matter. I will become world champion, so I’m OK with it.”
Unbeaten inside the Bellator cage, SBG Ireland’s Carvalho is currently back home in Portugal spending time with his family during the coronavirus crisis, but he continues to train every day.
“I’m not world champion yet, so the objective wasn’t accomplished, so I’m still in camp,” Carvalho said. “So I’m still training everyday. Of course the gyms are closed, I don’t have teammates around me so I have to do things by myself, but I’m staying active. I’m keeping myself on weight – I could make weight if the fight was next weekend or something.”
Carvalho thinks his fight with Freire will be rebooked for late August or September, when things will have hopefully resumed back to normal. And the betting underdog will look to shock the world on fight night.
“Whenever Bellator (has) a date, I will be there,” Carvalho said. “I will be again in the best shape of my life. I will be at the peak that I can be and I’ll go out there and do what I do best and that is fight, perform and beat Patricio.”
