Douglas Lima vs. Rory MacDonald Set For January
Bellator MMA is set to start off the new year with a big bang.
The promotion confirmed to the LA Times that they’re planning to have a big main event for the upcoming event in January. Douglas Lima will defend the Bellator Welterweight title against former UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald.
“When I signed with Bellator, I made it clear I wanted to take over — multiple weight classes and multiple championships,” MacDonald said in a prepared statement. “Douglas Lima and his title are first on the list before I move onto the next.”
“I haven’t been this healthy in a long time and Rory is going to be just another win on my record,” Lima said in the prepared statement.
Bellator President Scott Coker said the upcoming main event would illustrate the talent in his welterweight division. “These two are going to put on an incredible show,” he said.
MacDonald looked great in his promotional debut by defeating England’s Paul Daley by rear naked chokehold in May. He decided to leave the UFC following a loss to Stephen Thompson.
On the flip side, Lima is coming off a successful title defense at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 24 by beating Lorenz Larkin via unanimous decision.
The event is slated to take place on January 20th at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The prelims will air online while the main card airs on Spike TV. No other bouts were announced for the card. Tickets for the card are scheduled to go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 29 at Ticketmaster.
