Rafael Carvalho is expecting – and therefore preparing for – the best possible version of Lyoto Machida.

Over the years, though, Carvalho (15-2 MMA, 6-1 BMMA) saw as Machida (24-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) became less and less of a mystery for his opponents. If Machida’s unique karate-based style made for a riddle at first, much like Royce Gracie did with his jiu-jitsu in the early days, Carvalho believes the Machida style is no longer a puzzle.

And here’s the key bit for Carvalho: He gets to be trained, day in and day out, by the man who first helped solve it.

“(Andre Dida) is the one who cracked the code, when (Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua) was champion,” Carvalho told MMAjunkie ahead of the DAZN-streamed middleweight bout, which takes place Dec. 15 at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. “Dida is my muay Thai teacher, and he was ‘Shogun’’s coach then. So I have this card up my sleeve.”

Rua and Machida fought twice, in 2009 and 2010, under the UFC banner. Their first bout was an exciting five-round affair, which saw then-champ Machida coming out with a close decision win – one that, at the time, some disagreed with. Their rematch, however, didn’t even make it past the first round as Rua knocked out Machida in the first round, taking the UFC’s 205-pound crown in the process.

That was the first loss of Machida’s MMA career. And though he would go on to get other stabs at UFC glory, both in the 205 and 185-pound divisions, his record became somewhat inconsistent from then on. Set to have his Bellator debut against ex-Bellator champ Carvalho, “The Dragon” is on his first winning streak since 2014.

Machida’s record might not be as formidable as it once was, but Carvalho is expecting nothing short of a formidable opponent.

“From what he’s said, he came in to be champion,” Carvalho said. “So I’m expecting peak Lyoto. The one who was champion, who dominated the light heavyweight division for a long time. This is the Lyoto I’m preparing for. I’ll expect his worse, and he can expect my worse.

“… He’s a very dangerous fighter. He throws those straight strikes, and works very well on the counter-attack. He has the front kicks, which are a lethal weapon. So we have to come in alert, at all times, and not leave room for mistakes. We have to be 100 percent focused, because every slip-up can be fatal – on both sides.”

That seems to be the mentality on Machida’s end, too. So far, the ever-respectful Brazilian has only had positive things to say about his opponent, whom he knows better than to overlook.

Still, a ghost hovers over the matchup – and it comes bearing gold.

Since Machida’s signing by Bellator, middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi (45-6-2 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) has spoken of his desire to rematch “The Dragon.” That desire was reiterated this past Saturday, when Mousasi beat Rory MacDonald to defend the title he took from Carvalho. And Machida, understandably, is down.

Which means that, while Carvalho’s meeting with Machida is the one that has a date and place already set, there’s a different, hypothetical matchup stealing the conversation.

Does that bother Carvalho at all?

“I don’t care,” Carvalho said. “Because what they have might be something personal. It’s good that I’m in the background and that (Machida) is focused in the future. I just want to go in there, perform well and leave victorious. This thing, being put on the backburner, that’s even good for me.

“That puts the responsibility on him. If he wants it, he has to deliver. I’m not too concerned about them leaving me to the side.”

It’s not exactly far-fetched to believe that a bout between a former Bellator champion and a well known UFC veteran can end up producing the next title challenger. Machida, for one, believes that. And Carvalho thinks that’s a strong possibility, too.

“I think I will be in a good place to be the next title challenger,” Carvalho said.

But that’s neither a given, nor where Carvalho’s focus is right now. Although he, of course, wants to re-claim his majesty, the Brazilian has no problem taking a longer route there.

“I have a fight now, and it’s super important. I have to get through it,” Carvalho said. “If they give me another opponent, I’ll fight him, too. I know my time will come.”

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