Galvao Wants Revenge, Bellator Bantamweight Crown

“There was no strategy,” he told Sherdog.com. “I always like to fight the best. I fight whomever they put in front of me. I knew I had to go at it. I was in the best shape, and I thought I won the fight and the whole world thought I won the fight. I definitely want revenge, but it’s up to Bellator.”

Putting the loss behind him, Galvao focuses intimately on the goals at hand. A drop to bantamweight provides him not only with the possibility of a rematch against Warren but the opportunity to achieve something of even greater importance: becoming Bellator champion.

Galvao (Pictured, File Photo), who trains in New York, will face former WEC titleholder Chase Beebe in the opening round of Bellator’s Season 5 bantamweight tournament at Bellator 51 on Saturday in Canton, Ohio. He understands the dangers Beebe poses. At 19-7, he is one of the more experienced participants in the eight-man draw. Galvao -- who counts Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro and UFC veterans Dan Miller and Jim Miller as training partners -- believes in his preparation, much of which took place at Peak Performance NYC.

“I have a lot of people helping,” Galvao said. “I like the matchup. It all depends on where the fight takes place. Everyone saw when I fought Joe Warren that my wrestling is good. I took Joe down, and he’s a world champion. Everything is great. I’m in the best camp.

“I’m the kind of guy that if I don’t have a strategy I go to Plan B, Plan C and Plan D -- whatever,” he added. “I’m always thinking about the next step and what I’m going to do next.”

Like so many of his peers, Galvao watched the first UFC events and was immediately hooked. Watching Royce Gracie run the gamut through through Art Jimmerson, Ken Shamrock and Gerard Gordeau at UFC 1, the Bellator bantamweight was captivated. In 1995, while still in his early teens, he began training jiu-jitsu, which served as his indoctrination into the sport of MMA.

“I had interest in fighting when I first watched the UFC,” Galvao said. “I said, ‘I want to fight. I want to do that.’”