This past weekend was the time of year people come together to enjoy some traditional Thanksgiving turkey. Now there’s some beef marinating away ahead of a fighting feast in March.

The beef in question is between Bellator featherweight (and lightweight) champion Patricio Freire and his next opponent in the Bellator featherweight grand prix tournament, Dublin-based Portuguese contender Rafael Carvalho, who have spent much of their weekend engaging in a Twitter back-and-forth that will eventually end with the pair throwing leather inside the cage in around four months’ time.

“Pitbull” (30-4 MMA, 18-4 BMMA) picked Carvalho (11-3 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) as his next opponent in the tournament after utilizing his “champion’s choice” advantage during the recent bracket-setting draw after Bellator 228 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. And with the pair set to do battle in March, the duo have decided to get the pre-fight banter started early.

It all began with “Pitbull” stating that he’d love to fight for a third Bellator belt as he wished Kyoji Horiguchi a speedy recovery following his decision to relinquish the bantamweight belt.

“It’s a shame I’m busy with the FW tournament and have the LW title to defend first. I’d love a crack at the BW title,” he said. But Carvalho piped up and replied, suggesting the Brazilian may find his schedule a little easier after he has faced “Pitbull” in their quarter-final clash next year, and suggested his SBG teammate Peter Queally was ready to take him on for his 155-pound strap.

“You’ll not be busy in September,” Carvalho said. “So if you want so much to come to Ireland, like I told you before, @peterqueally can give you a warm welcome in Dublin. After March I want to see if you have the same will to do match-ups against any SBG fighter! #andnew”

Freire then threw shade Queally’s way saying he “won’t make it up here” before turning his aim to Carvalho’s team as a whole.

“I’d love my fighters to get the favorable matchmaking you have. SBG fighters are perfect.”

He then asked if Carvalho was Queally’s “errand boy” and asked if the Irish lightweight contender was “too scared to speak up for himself and try to make his way to the top with good wins.”

Cue more back and forth, with Carvalho adopting a phrase we’ve heard from a certain high-profile teammate of his: “Losers focus on winners. Winners focus on winning,” while Freire called Carvalho’s teammates “coward friends” and signing off with: “Thank you for the laugh. I’ll be laughing again at you KO’d in March.”

With Freire seemingly taking aim at anyone and everyone from SBG, and Carvalho firing directly back at “Pitbull,” it seems the rivalry between the two teams could be at fever pitch if the online jousting continues. The big question, of course, is who will be eating their words in March and who’ll be moving on in the tournament with championship gold around their waist?

Bellator featherweight grand prix quarterfinal matchups:

• A.J. McKee vs. Derek Campos (Bellator 236, Dec. 21)
• Adam Borics vs. Darrion Caldwell (January)
• Emmanuel Sanchez vs. Daniel Weichel (February)
• Champion Patricio Freire vs. Pedro Carvalho (March)