Rafael Carvalho vs. Melvin Manhoef title rematch headlines Bellator 167 in Italy

Bellator’s return to Italy in December now has a middleweight title rematch booked for its headliner.

In the Bellator 167 main event, 185-pound champion Rafael Carvalho (13-1 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) will put his belt on the line against Melvin Manhoef (30-13-1 MMA, 2-2 BMMA). The promotion announced the new booking today.

Bellator 167 takes place Dec. 10 at Mandela Forum in Florence, Italy. The event will feature both MMA and kickboxing bouts and will air on Spike, though exact broadcast details have not been revealed. Bellator first traveled to Italy for Bellator 152, which was held in April in Turin.

A light heavyweight bout between Joey Beltran (17-13 MMA, 3-4 BMMA) and Italy’s own Alessio Sakara (18-11 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) previously was announced as the card’s headliner, but now slides back to make way for the title fight in the main event.

Carvalho won Bellator’s then-vacant middleweight title nearly a year ago with a second-TKO of Brandon Halsey at Bellator 144, giving him a 12-fight winning streak and making him a perfect 3-0 under the promotion’s banner. In May, he fought Manhoef in Boise, Idaho, and won a split decision in his first defense of the belt.

Carvalho’s split-call win was a controversial one. Two of the judges gave him 48-47 scores. A dissenting third gave it to Manhoef, 48-47. But of the major media outlets who scored the fight, tracked by MMA decisions, none gave it to the champ – and all had Manhoef with at least four rounds.

Manhoef will be looking to get back in the win column after that spring loss to the champion and win his first major title in the process. The well-traveled 40-year-old, who has fought for DREAM, Strikeforce and ONE Championship, amongst many others, has been up and down since signing with Bellator in 2014.

For more on Bellator 167, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.