Farah Hannoun: Gegard Mousasi vs. Douglas Lima
Prior to the enforced postponements, Bellator was all set to deliver one of the best matchups in the promotion’s history at Bellator 242.
Bellator 170-pound champion [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] was scheduled to face former middleweight champ [autotag]Gegard Mousasi[/autotag] for the vacant 185-pound title in the co-main event, where Lima (32-7 MMA, 14-3 BMMA) was attempting to join a select group of fighters to hold two major titles simultaneously.
Lima re-captured his 170-pound belt last October when he avenged his loss to Rory MacDonald in the welterweight grand prix finals in January 2018. The Brazilian is widely considered to be one of the best welterweights in the world and, after capturing the title for the third time, the opportunity emerged for him to take on former champ Mousasi (46-7-2 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) for the vacant title in the biggest fight of “The Phenom’s” career.
After losing his title in an upset loss to Rafael Lovato Jr., Mousasi rebounded with a win over former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. But, after Lovato was forced to relinquish his belt due to ongoing medical issues, Mousasi was handed an opportunity to regain his title in a matchup between two of the very best fighters in the promotion.
Bellator may have received criticism for certain matchups in the past, but there is no doubt that, in terms of sheer quality, Lima vs. Mousasi is as good a fight as any bout any promotion could possibly put together in 2020.