Issue 147
November 2016
Douglas Lima is consumed by his desire to regain the Bellator welterweight championship – and he’s finally fit enough to do it
Dialogue: Douglas Lima
Division: Welterweight
Alias: The Phenom
Age: 28
Team: ATT Atlanta
Record: 27-6
It took two grueling runs through Bellator tournaments before Douglas Lima finally got his hands on the promotion’s top 170lb prize. But then, it all went wrong. The two years following were plagued by injury and his only fight resulted in him losing his belt. But a huge win on foreign soil and a clean bill of health have put the division’s hardest hitter in line to get back to his throne
Question: What was it like defeating a dangerous opponent like Paul Daley in London?
Answer: I loved the matchup even though it was basically in his hometown (Daley is actually from Nottingham – about 140 miles away). That fact didn’t change anything about the fight. I wanted that fight for a long time and I was just excited to go in there and do what I did. It was great to headline a big show like that in the O2 Arena.
Q: Is the rematch with Koreshkov next?
A: That’s the goal. Fight Koreshkov for the title and get it back. That’s the fight I’d love to have next if possible.
Q: What are your thoughts on how he handled Benson Henderson?
A It was good. That was a tough fight for Benson. I knew Koreshkov was going to beat him. He is a much bigger guy. He really made it look easy. Good for him and good for me when I get to fight him again. That will be a great test.
Q: As a Bellator veteran, what are your thoughts on its growth in the past couple of years?
A I love Bellator. They have always taken good care of me. I love what Scott Coker is doing. I really like the big shows and the big-show feel. All the new signings are awesome for the company and awesome for us fighters. Hopefully, they keep moving in that direction. I hope they bring in more welterweights and bigger names in the division. I want to fight guys like that.
Q: Who do you enjoy watching fight?
A: I was always a big fan of Wanderlei Silva. I started training after watching him and watching his highlights. I was watching him just destroy people. I always wanted to have a similar style to his. That’s the guy I have enjoyed watching since I was a little kid. Wanderlei is the guy.
Q: What did it mean to you when you had the Bellator gold wrapped around your waist?
A: It’s the ultimate goal. It’s what I fight for – to be on top. To win the Bellator welterweight title really meant a lot to me. It means everything to me. And so I am doing everything I can to get it back. I have got to get it back.
