Rory MacDonald isn’t surprised that he’ll be fighting Douglas Lima again in the finals of the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix.
MacDonald was able to hold onto his Bellator 170-pound gold with a majority draw against Jon Fitch and a unanimous decision victory over Neiman Gracie. As for Lima, he earned his spot in the finals with a submission over Andrey Koreshkov and a knockout victory over Michael Page.
MacDonald Not Surprised To Face Lima Again
MacDonald spoke to reporters backstage at Bellator 225. “Red King” said that he always had a feeling that he’d meet Lima in a rematch (via MMAJunkie.com).
“That was always kind of my impression – that I’d meet him in the finals,” MacDonald said. “There were other really good guys he was fighting, but I had a feeling it was going to be him.”
Back in Jan. 2018, MacDonald challenged Lima for the Bellator welterweight title. After five rounds of back-and-forth action, MacDonald walked away as the 170-pound champion. The winner of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix will also nab the $1 million prize courtesy of rapper and businessman 50 Cent.
While MacDonald won’t deny that the $1 million prize can’t be ignored, he insists that it’s not the end-all and be-all.
“$1 million is motivating, sure,” MacDonald said. “But the rematch is important. I have to put on a solid performance. I have to put on my best performance to close out this tournament to put a stamp on this rivalry since our last fight. That’s the most important thing for me.
“The million dollars is really awesome. What a blessing that would be. But I’m not really focused on it.”
MacDonald and Lima will collide on Oct. 26. The bout will headline Bellator 232, which will take place inside Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
