Bellator 241 breakdown: Patricio Freire can expect chaos from Pedro Carvalho. Will he handle it?

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the Bellator’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for Bellator 241.

Bellator 241 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Patricio Freire (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA)

Staple info:

Height: 5’5″ Age: 32 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 65.5″
Last fight: Decision win over Juan Archuleta (Sept. 28, 2019)
Camp: Pitbull Brothers MMA (Brazil)
Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:

+ Bellator featherweight and lightweight champion
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 10 KO victories
+ 11 submission wins
+ 10 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Explosive athlete
^ Deceptive distance closer
+ Accurate hooks and crosses
^ Coming forward or off the counter
+ Hard leg kicks
+ Underrated wrestling ability
+ Good transitional grappler
+ Dangerous guillotine choke

Pedro Carvalho (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA)

Staple info:

Height: 5’11” Age: 24 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 70″
Last fight: Submission win over Sam Sicilia (Sept. 7, 2019)
Camp: SBG Ireland (Portugal/Ireland)
Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing
Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info:

+ Regional MMA title
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt
+ Muay Thai/kickboxing experience
+ 2 KO victories
+ 6 submission wins
+ 7 first-round finishes
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
^ High-output fighter
+ Smooth striking flow
^ Shifts stance/variates attacks
+ Hard body kicks
+ Serviceable scrambling and wrestling
+ Transitions well from topside
+ Active and attacking guard

Point of interest: Pressure vs. counters

The main event in Uncasville features a fantastic title fight that will take place within the confines of Bellator’s featherweight grand prix.

Starting on the feet, we will likely be privy to a battle between a contender who comes with breakneck pressure and a veteran who packs emphatic counters.

Initially hitting the Bellator scene as a heavy-handed brawler with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Particio Freire has steadily sharpened his striking skills during his formative fighting years with the promotion. He quickly demonstrated the ability to work forward off of feints and pressure, as well as be able to sit back and counter when needed.

In recent times, we have seen Freire and other fighters from his camp embrace more of a karate-centric form of kickboxing. Staying lighter on his toes while maintaining a longer stance, the 32-year-old can either enter space quickly to intercept his opposition (as seen in his lightweight title fight with Michael Chandler) or exit to safety when appropriate.

Improvements aside, Freire’s newfound role of playing the matador could get tricky if he does not show the ability to tame his young counterpart early and often.

Enter Pedro Carvalho.

A Portuguese-born fighter who is now a product of SBG Ireland, Carvalho has been steadily piecing together a complete mixed martial arts game since his time spent learning lessons on the regional scene of Portugal.

Although Carvalho appears to have absorbed some characteristics from his stablemate, Conor McGregor, via osmosis, the title challenger conducts himself more like former SBG fighter Paddy Holohan. Springing forward straight out of the gates, Carvalho is no stranger to shifting stances as he shows to be effective from either side.

Whether launching jabs and leg kicks from the orthodox stance or hitting crosses and crushing body kicks from southpaw, Carvalho flows seamlessly in regards to striking in combination and target variation. But given that Freire is capable of countering in multiple ways, I will be curious to see if Carvalho comes into this contest more defensively mindful of the consequences at hand.