Former Bellator MMA Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima will be looking to become a two-time champion at Bellator 164 when he challenges the man who defeated him for the title, Andrey Koreshkov.
However, there is an interesting twist to the story, which involves a bet that Lima made on a recent title fight between Koreshkov and former UFC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson at Bellator 153.
"I knew he would beat Ben Henderson," Lima said to MMA Fighting. "Ben Henderson is too small, his only chance would be taking him down and he didn’t get anywhere near that. I know Koreshkov would beat him easily. He’s too big for him. I even made some money in this fight. And Koreshkov was the underdog! [laughs]. I bet 200 bucks and won around 600," he said. "I usually don’t bet because we work hard for the money we make. I only bet when it’s guaranteed [laughs]. I used the money in my camp, to pay my coaches. (Koreshkov) is helping me pay my coaches for the rematch [laughs]."
The training camp that Koreshkov inadvertently helped pay for has been going well for Lima, something he couldn’t say about the camp for his first fight with Koreshkov.
"I’m happy because I was able to train this time, have a complete training camp now that I don’t have any injuries," said Lima. "It’s time to return the favor against this guy. I couldn’t even train that time. I was only doing boxing and conditioning. I couldn’t put my weight over the knee, but I needed the money. I cancelled two fights before that and I needed the money. I regret it today, but I had to take the fight because I needed the money. And we went the distance despite the injury, so I’m confident. It’s day and night. I can’t compare. I had no confidence," he continued. "I was afraid I could get injured again. I wasn’t worried about the fight itself. I only worried about not getting injured again. I’m fine now. I’m feeling as confidence as I was before the injury, when I was on a roll."
Bellator 164 is taking place on Thursday, November 10th from the Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel with Andrey Koreshkov and Douglas Lima headlining.
