LONDON – Douglas Lima feels he’ll soon be competing once again for the Bellator welterweight title if all goes well in his next bout.
The former Bellator 170-pound champion takes on Michael Page in a rematch in the main event of Friday’s Bellator 267 at the Wembley Arena. Lima (32-9 MMA, 14-5 BMMA) is coming off a loss to Yaroslav Amosov in June where he lost his Bellator belt in a unanimous decision.
Lima hopes to get a chance at winning back his belt for his next bout, as he sees the Page bout as a title eliminator.
“I think so, it’s No. 1 vs. No. 2,” Lima told MMA Junkie in a media scrum following Wednesday’s weigh-ins. “I believe so and that’s the hope. I’m here to be a champion. Anywhere I am, I’m there to be a champion. I’ve done it before three times and now I’m going to do it four times. I know I didn’t look good against him last time, but I have some catching up to do.”
Lima sits at No. 1 and Page at No. 2 according to the official Bellator rankings. The two fought back in 2019 in a semi-final bout of the Bellator welterweight grand prix. Lima knocked out “MVP” in dramatic fashion in the second round of their bout.
Even though Lima holds a dominant win over Page, he’s still motivated to get the job done once again.
“Even though we fought before it’s a different fight, a different time, (and) the fire is still there,” Lima said. “I’m excited. I trained really hard like it’s a title fight and nothing changes. I’m more familiar now with his game, I know what to expect. I know his weaknesses and his strengths. I think I’m more prepared than the last time.
