Rafael Carvalho vs. Chidi Njokuani on track for Bellator 224

Rafael Carvalho’s road to a second Bellator middleweight championship took a wrong turn in 2018, but he’s looking to get back on track in 2019.

Coming off back-to-back losses to Gegard Mousasi and Lyoto Machida, Carvalho appears set to meet Chidi Njokuani at Bellator 224 on July 12. MMA Junkie confirmed an initial report by MMA Fighting on Monday, as a source with knowledge of the situation said the bout is targeted, but not yet signed.

Carvalho (15-3 MMA; 6-2 BMMA) won his first six Bellator bouts, which included three successful defenses of the 185-pound belt before dropping the strap to Mousasi at Bellator 200, before his recent setbacks.

Njokuani (18-6 MMA; 5-2 BMMA) is still looking to regain his initial Bellator momentum, in which he won his first four fights and five of six. He’s coming off a submission loss to John Salter in his most recent fight at Bellator 210.

Bellator 224, which will be held in Thackerville, Okla., will air on Paramount Network and stream on DAZN. The only bout official announced at this point is Julia Budd’s featherweight title defense against Olga Rubin.

For more on Bellator 224,  check out the Rumors page of the site.