Douglas Lima is happy to see fans back in the building at the Mohegan Sun Arena for Bellator 260 this Friday.
“Very, very excited about that,” the welterweight champ told Cageside Press ahead of his return to Connecticut. “I fought without the crowd last time, it was not too bad to be honest. Better than I thought. But it’s always good when you have people cheering,” said Lima, who noted that the crowd can get you to push a little harder.
Lima (32-8) is coming off a failed title bid at middleweight, where he fell to Gegard Mousasi. For his return to 170lbs he’s been matched up with undefeated, 26-0 juggernaut Yaroslav Amosov. Yet despite the challengers perfect record, he’s not the most well-known contender on the roster.
The champ, however, has no problem taking this challenge with the utmost seriousness.
“Look at the guy’s record. You can tell you’ve got to take the guy seriously,” observed Lima. “I’m a champion, I’ll fight anybody they give me. I know, he’s fought some dangerous guys. He’s a dangerous opponent, he’s been beating everybody they’ve been giving him. He’s game, he’s ready for this.”
“Even though a lot of people don’t know about him, I do,” Lima continued. “I’ve watched his fights, I’ve watched him come up in Bellator. I know how serious of an opponent he is, coming up in a great camp in American Top Team.” That’s the same team, of course, that Lima himself trains under, albeit at a different location.
“He’s getting better, he’s improving every time. You’ve got to give respect to guys like that,” added Lima. “They’re not just giving him a title shot for nothing. He’s earned it, and I can’t wait to lock horns with him Friday night.”
Watch the full Bellator 260 media day interview with Douglas Lima above. The welterweight champ throws down with Yaroslav Amosov this Friday, June 11 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.
