Rafael Carvalho became the Bellator middleweight champion less than four years after his professional MMA debut, and looks back at the tough road to the top ahead of his first title defense in Boise, Idaho, opposite 45-fight veteran Melvin Manhoef.
Since his early life in the Chapeu Mangueira favela in Rio de Janeiro, Carvalho looked up to his older brother, Marcelo Penca. Penca ran a social project for poor kids, but only at age 7, Carvalho started to care about martial arts. Between jiu-jitsu and muay thai, the options available at his brother’s project, the young kid chose to put on the gloves and throw kicks and punches.