Jimmy Smith: You better not underestimate champ Rafael Carvalho in Bellator 190 headliner

Just when you want to write Rafael Carvalho off, he reminds you just how good he is.

That’s what Bellator analyst Jimmy Smith is thinking about ahead of this week’s Bellator 190 main event.

Middleweight champ Carvalho (14-1 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) puts his title on the line against Alessio Sakara (19-11 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) in the headliner, and he’ll do it in Sakara’s home country of Italy in front of what no doubt will be a hostile crowd.

But Smith thinks the champ has excelled in the past just when everyone thought he might not, and that’s the danger for Sakara at Bellator 190, which takes place Saturday at Nelson Mandela Forum in Florence with a main card that airs at 8 p.m. ET on Spike via tape-delay.

Check out the video above to hear from Smith about Carvalho’s title defense in Italy.

And for more on Bellator 190, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.