| Douglas Lima | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Douglas Lima (1988-01-05)5 January 1988 (age 37) Goiânia,Goiás, Brazil[1] |
| Other names | The Phenom |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13.2 st) |
| Division | Welterweight (2006–present) Middleweight (2020, 2023–present) |
| Reach | 74+1⁄2 in (189 cm) |
| Style | Muay Thai |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Team | American Top Team Atlanta (until 2020)[2] American Top Team Gwinnett (2020–present)[2] |
| Rank | Black belt inBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu underRoan Carneiro[3] |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 45 |
| Wins | 33 |
| By knockout | 16 |
| By submission | 10 |
| By decision | 7 |
| Losses | 12 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 10 |
| Amateur Muay Thai record | |
| Total | 21 |
| Wins | 21 |
| By knockout | 17 |
| Other information | |
| Notable relatives | Dhiego Lima (brother) |
| Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog | |
Douglas Lima (born 5 January 1988) is a Brazilianmixed martial artist who competes in theWelterweight andMiddleweight divisions. He formerly competed forBellator MMA, where he is a former three-timeBellator Welterweight Champion. He is also the formerMFC Welterweight Champion. Lima and his younger brother,Dhiego, own and operate American Top Team - Team Lima inDuluth, Georgia.[2][4]
Lima was born and grew up initially inAparecida de Goiânia, Brazil.[5] Douglas took interest in martial arts fromBruce Lee andJean-Claude Van Damme movies, and started trainingcapoeira.[5] In 2000, Lima moved toAtlanta, Georgia with his family, and eventually started trainingMuay Thai andBrazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 14.[6] He graduated fromJoseph Wheeler High School.[citation needed] He trained atAmerican Top Team Atlanta withRoan Carneiro.[7][8]
Lima began his professional mixed martial arts career with decent success, soon compiling a record of 5–0.[7]
In February 2007, Lima faced the futureUltimate Fighter competitorMatt Brown for the ISCF (International Sport Combat Federation) Pro East Coast Welterweight Title. Brown dealt Lima his first professional loss[9] by defeating him via TKO due to punches in the second round.[7]
In May 2008, Lima had his first defense of the title againstBrent Weedman. Weedman was reportedly brought in to the fight to showcase Lima's skills, as Weedman was expected to be an easy fight.[10] Weedman threatened early on with a triangle choke which was unsuccessful. Late in the second round, Weedman again caught Lima in a triangle choke, but transitioned to an armbar, which forced Lima to submit, giving Weedman the title.[10] Weedman would later go on to say "They brought me in because Douglas Lima would make a great champ for them. Now, it's my turn to step up. I feel good about the fact that I did a one-fight deal with them. We're going to talk a multi-fight contract now."[10] Following the loss, Lima never appeared for the AFL promotion again.[7]
Following another win via TKO, Lima joinedWorld Extreme Cagefighting. His debut fight was scheduled to take place atWEC 39 against Justin Haskins.[11] However, Lima was forced to withdraw from the card while waiting on papers to arrive from the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services.[1] Lima's WEC debut never transpired, as instead, he joinedKing of the Cage, where he faced another futureUltimate Fighter competitor in Charles Blanchard, losing by unanimous decision.[7]
In September 2010, Douglas Lima joined theMaximum Fighting Championship, facing off againstRyan Ford. In front of Ford's hometown fans, Lima was able to defeat Ford via armbar, early in the second round.[12]
With the win, Lima was given an MFC Welterweight title shot againstJesse Juarez atMFC 27.[13] Lima went on to defeat Juarez via armbar, midway through the final round.[14]
Lima then defended the title againstTerry Martin atMFC 29, winning the fight via first-round TKO.[15]
In May 2011, it was announced that Lima had signed to fight forBellator Fighting Championships.[16]
Lima entered into theBellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament.[17] He foughtSteve Carl in the opening round held atBellator 49 and won the fight via unanimous decision.[18] Lima foughtChris Lozano in the semifinals atBellator 53 and won via KO in the second round.[19] In the finals held atBellator 57, he claimed the tournament victory and earned a shot at the title by knocking outBen Saunders in the second round.[20]
Lima got his title shot against welterweight championBen Askren atBellator 64 on April 6, 2012.[21] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[22]
Lima defeated Jacob Ortiz via head kick and knee at 4:50 of the third round atBellator 79 on November 2, 2012.[23]
Lima faced Russian MMA prospectMichail Tsarev in Season Eight Welterweight Tournament on January 24, 2013 atBellator 86.[24] He won the fight via TKO due to leg strikes in round 2.[25] In the semi-finals, he was scheduled to faceBrent Weedman, but ultimately Weedman suffered an injury and was replaced byBryan Baker atBellator 90 on February 21, 2013.[26] He won the fight via knock out in the first round.[27] He was expected to faceBen Saunders in a rematch in the tournament final atBellator 93. However, Lima suffered a broken hand and the rematch was postponed, finally taking place atBellator 100 on September 20, 2013.[28][29] Lima once again won in the second round, this time via a brutal head kick knockout.[30]
Lima faced judo olympianRick Hawn atBellator 117 on April 18, 2014, for the vacant Bellator Welterweight Championship.[31] After several knockdowns due to leg kicks, Lima won via TKO due to corner stoppage to win the vacant Bellator Welterweight Championship.[32]
Lima was scheduled to make his first title defense againstPaul Daley on February 27, 2015 atBellator 134.[33] However, in January, it was announced that Lima had pulled out of the fight due to injury.[34] Lima was replaced by fellow BrazilianAndré Santos.[35]
After 15 months away from the sport due to knee injuries, Lima returned to defend his title againstBellator Season Ten Welterweight tournament winnerAndrey Koreshkov atBellator 140 on July 17, 2015.[36] He lost the fight and title by unanimous decision.[37]
After nearly a year away from the sport, Lima returned to the Bellator cage to replaceJosh Koscheck againstPaul Daley atBellator 158 on July 16, 2016.[38] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[39]
The win over Daley earned Lima a rematch against Bellator Welterweight Champion Andrey Koreshkov. The two met in the main event atBellator 164 on November 10, 2016. Lima regained his title by winning by knockout in the third round.[40]
For the first defense of his second title reign, Lima facedLorenz Larkin atBellator NYC on June 24, 2017.[41] He won the fight via a unanimous decision (50–45, 48–47, and 48–47) to retain the Bellator welterweight championship.[42]
On September 6, 2017 Lima announced that he had signed a six-fight, two-year contract with Bellator.[43]
For the second defense of his title, Lima facedRory MacDonald atBellator 192 on January 20, 2018.[44] He lost the back-and-forth fight by unanimous decision.[45]
Lima facedAndrey Koreshkov in a third match as part of the opening round of theBellator Welterweight World Grand Prix on September 29, 2018 atBellator 206.[46] He won the fight via a rear-naked choke in the fifth round.[47]
In the tournament semifinals, Lima faced the undefeatedMichael Page in the co-main event atBellator 221 on May 11, 2019. Lima won the fight via knockout in round two.[48]
In theBellator Welterweight World Grand Prix final, Lima challengedRory MacDonald in a rematch for the welterweight title atBellator 232 on October 26, 2019.[49] He won the fight by unanimous decision to become a three-time Bellator welterweight champion and the 2019 Welterweight Grand Prix winner, receiving the $1,000,000 prize.[50]
As the first fight of his new, multi-year contract, Lima was scheduled to faceGegard Mousasi for the vacantBellator Middleweight World Championship atBellator 242 on May 9, 2020.[51][52] However, it was later announced that Bellator 242 and Lima's fight against Mousasi were being postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[53] Instead, Lima faced Mousasi on October 29 atBellator 250.[54] Lima lost the fight via unanimous decision.[55]
In the first defense of his title in his third reign asBellator Welterweight World Champion, Lima faced undefeatedYaroslav Amosov atBellator 260 on June 11, 2021.[56] He lost the bout by unanimous decision.[57]
Lima facedMichael Page in a rematch on October 1, 2021 atBellator 267.[58] He lost the bout via split decision.[59] 6 out of 7 media outlets scored the bout as a win for Lima.[60]
Lima was scheduled to faceJason Jackson on May 13, 2022 atBellator 281.[61] However, for unknown reasons, the bout was pulled from the event and was rescheduled for July 22, 2022 atBellator 283.[62][63] After the main event was scrapped and the reshuffling of the bouts, Lima vs. Jackson was upgraded to the main event and 5 rounds.[64] At the weigh-ins, Douglas Lima, came in at 172.8 lbs, 1.8 pounds heavy for his headlining welterweight bout. The bout proceeded at a catchweight and Lima was fined a percentage of his individual purse, which went to Jackson.[65] Lima lost the bout via unanimous decision, getting controlled on the ground for 5 rounds.[66]
Moving up to Middleweight once again, Lima faced Costello van Steenis on May 12, 2023 atBellator 296.[67] He won the bout via unanimous decision.[68]
With one fight remaining on his prevailing contract, Lima signed a new multi-year contract withPFL after publicly scolding the organization for keeping him benched for over a year for allegedly too high purse.[69] As the first bout of his new contract, Lima faced Aaron Jeffery atBellator Champions Series 4 on September 7, 2024.[70] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[71]
On January 16, 2025, it was announced that he had left the promotion and signed with the Global Fight League.[72]
Lima was scheduled to faceUriah Hall on May 25, 2025 at GFL 2.[73] However, all GFL events were postponed indefinitely.[74]
Lima competed againstRinat Fakhretdinov at ADXC 2 on January 19, 2024.[75] He lost the match by unanimous decision.[76]
Lima and his wife have two daughters and a son.[6][77]
| 45 matches | 33 wins | 12 losses |
| By knockout | 16 | 1 |
| By submission | 10 | 1 |
| By decision | 7 | 10 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 33–12 | Aaron Jeffery | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator Champions Series 4 | September 7, 2024 | 3 | 5:00 | San Diego, California, United States | |
| Win | 33–11 | Costello van Steenis | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 296 | May 12, 2023 | 3 | 5:00 | Paris, France | Return to Middleweight. |
| Loss | 32–11 | Jason Jackson | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 283 | July 22, 2022 | 5 | 5:00 | Tacoma, Washington, United States | Catchweight (172.8 lb) bout; Lima missed weight. |
| Loss | 32–10 | Michael Page | Decision (split) | Bellator 267 | October 1, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England | |
| Loss | 32–9 | Yaroslav Amosov | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 260 | June 11, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Lost theBellator Welterweight World Championship. |
| Loss | 32–8 | Gegard Mousasi | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 250 | October 29, 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Middleweight debut. For the vacantBellator Middleweight World Championship. |
| Win | 32–7 | Rory MacDonald | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 232 | October 26, 2019 | 5 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Won theBellator Welterweight World Grand Prix and theBellator Welterweight World Championship. |
| Win | 31–7 | Michael Page | KO (punches) | Bellator 221 | May 11, 2019 | 2 | 0:35 | Rosemont, Illinois, United States | Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix Semifinal. |
| Win | 30–7 | Andrey Koreshkov | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 206 | September 29, 2018 | 5 | 3:04 | San Jose, California, United States | Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Loss | 29–7 | Rory MacDonald | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 192 | January 20, 2018 | 5 | 5:00 | Inglewood, California, United States | Lost theBellator Welterweight World Championship. |
| Win | 29–6 | Lorenz Larkin | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator NYC | June 24, 2017 | 5 | 5:00 | New York City, New York, United States | Defended theBellator Welterweight World Championship. |
| Win | 28–6 | Andrey Koreshkov | KO (punches) | Bellator 164 | November 10, 2016 | 3 | 1:21 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Won theBellator Welterweight World Championship. |
| Win | 27–6 | Paul Daley | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 158 | July 16, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | London, England, United Kingdom | |
| Loss | 26–6 | Andrey Koreshkov | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 140 | July 17, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | Lost theBellator Welterweight World Championship. |
| Win | 26–5 | Rick Hawn | TKO (corner stoppage) | Bellator 117 | April 18, 2014 | 2 | 3:19 | Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States | Won the vacantBellator Welterweight World Championship. |
| Win | 25–5 | Ben Saunders | KO (head kick) | Bellator 100 | September 20, 2013 | 2 | 4:33 | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Won theBellator Season 8 Welterweight Tournament. |
| Win | 24–5 | Bryan Baker | KO (punch) | Bellator 90 | February 21, 2013 | 1 | 2:34 | West Valley City, Utah, United States | Bellator Season 8 Welterweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 23–5 | Michail Tsarev | TKO (leg kicks) | Bellator 86 | January 24, 2013 | 2 | 1:44 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | Bellator Season 8 Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 22–5 | Jacob Ortiz | TKO (head kick and knee) | Bellator 79 | November 2, 2012 | 3 | 4:50 | Rama, Ontario, Canada | 180 lb Catchweight bout. |
| Loss | 21–5 | Ben Askren | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 64 | April 6, 2012 | 5 | 5:00 | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | For theBellator Welterweight World Championship. |
| Win | 21–4 | Ben Saunders | KO (punches) | Bellator 57 | November 12, 2011 | 2 | 1:21 | Rama, Ontario, Canada | Won theBellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament. |
| Win | 20–4 | Chris Lozano | KO (punch) | Bellator 53 | October 8, 2011 | 2 | 3:14 | Miami, Oklahoma, United States | Bellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 19–4 | Steve Carl | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 49 | September 10, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey United States | Bellator Season 5 Welterweight Tournament Quarterfinal. |
| Win | 18–4 | Terry Martin | TKO (punches) | MFC 29: Conquer | April 8, 2011 | 1 | 1:14 | Windsor, Ontario, Canada | Defended theMFC Welterweight Championship. Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 17–4 | Jesse Juarez | Submission (triangle armbar) | MFC 27 | November 12, 2010 | 3 | 2:37 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Won the vacantMFC Welterweight Championship. Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 16–4 | Ryan Ford | Submission (armbar) | MFC 26 | September 10, 2010 | 2 | 0:48 | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 15–4 | Cortez Coleman | Decision (split) | SportFight X-1: Beatdown | March 26, 2010 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Won the 2010 REDLINE Middleweight Grand Prix. |
| Win | 14–4 | Clint Hester | Decision (unanimous) | Sin City Fight Club: Redline Grand Prix Round 2 | November 13, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | 2010 REDLINE Middleweight Grand Prix Semifinal. |
| Win | 13–4 | Eddie Hernandez | Submission (triangle choke) | Sin City Fight Club: Redline Grand Prix Opening Round | October 10, 2009 | 1 | 2:34 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | 2010 REDLINE Middleweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal. |
| Loss | 12–4 | Eric Dahlberg | Decision (unanimous) | Best of the Best | June 12, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Columbus, Georgia, United States | |
| Loss | 12–3 | Charles Blanchard | Decision (unanimous) | KOTC: Invincible | March 27, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 | Joseph Baize | TKO (punches) | Southern Kentucky: Combat League | August 23, 2008 | 1 | 2:30 | Owensboro, Kentucky, United States | |
| Loss | 11–2 | Brent Weedman | Submission (armbar) | AFL: Bulletproof | May 30, 2008 | 2 | 4:39 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | For the vacant AFL Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 11–1 | Cody Senseney | TKO (punches) | AFL: Eruption | March 7, 2008 | 1 | 2:45 | Lexington, Kentucky, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Eric Davila | Submission (armbar) | ROF 31: Undisputed | December 1, 2007 | 2 | 3:52 | Broomfield, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 9–1 | Daniel Douglas | Submission (rear-naked choke) | RMBB & PCF 1: HellRazor | October 16, 2007 | 1 | 0:28 | Denver, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 8–1 | Kyle Baker | Submission (triangle armbar) | Reign in the Cage | August 11, 2007 | 1 | 4:45 | Alabama, United States | |
| Win | 7–1 | Ed Nuno | TKO (injury) | XFS 6: Bad Blood | July 14, 2007 | 1 | 0:28 | Boise, Idaho, United States | |
| Win | 6–1 | Joshua Hancock | TKO | Evolution: Mayhem in Albany | March 10, 2007 | 1 | N/A | Albany, Georgia, United States | |
| Loss | 5–1 | Matt Brown | TKO (punches) | ISCF: Invasion | February 9, 2007 | 2 | 2:50 | Kennesaw, Georgia, United States | For the vacant ISCF Eastern U.S. Welterweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Ray Perales | TKO (submission to punches) | Xtreme Fight Series 3 | December 15, 2006 | 1 | 3:07 | Boise, Idaho, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | John Nellermoe | Submission (triangle choke) | ISCF: Southside Slugfest | October 21, 2006 | 1 | 1:07 | Peachtree City,Georgia, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Nathan Osterkamp | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Border Warz | October 14, 2006 | 1 | 1:57 | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Steve Linton | Submission (verbal) | ISCF: Fever Fight Night | September 22, 2006 | 1 | N/A | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Carlos Julio Molestina | KO (punches) | Wild Bill's: Fight Night 3 | July 14, 2006 | 1 | 1:08 | Duluth, Georgia, United States |
