Douglas Lima believes he is the best welterweight fighter in the world and that he would even KO UFC champion, Kamaru Usman.
The Brazilian fighter defeated Rory Macdonald at Bellator 232, claiming the Bellator welterweight title and the Grand Prix prize of $1 million.
Lima and MacDonald initially faced off in 2018 at UFC 192. The welterweights battled it out in a 25-minute war, but MacDonald reigned victorious. Lima learned some valuable lessons from their first matchup and used them to gain victory second time around.
The 31-year-old now has a 32-7 record with wins over the likes of Paul Daley and Michael “Venom” Page. His accomplished record and recent wins have validated his self-confidence.
Now, Douglas Lima feels like he is ready to take on any challenge, even the UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman.
“For sure, I think about it every time (fighting Kamaru Usman or Tyron Woodley). Especially after a win like this,” Lima told TMZ this week.
However, Lima also feels overlooked because he is not part of the UFC.
“I know real MMA fans, they recognize, they know I’m up there with those guys” he said. “They know I can beat, I can fight any of them. But, most of them it’s like, ‘Man, you’re not in the UFC, you’re a nobody.’
“Man, I hate that. That’s people who don’t understand the sport. It’s not the name UFC or Bellator or ONE FC. There’s killers everywhere.
“Now Scott Coker is doing co-promotions with Rizin. I would love if we do that with the UFC.”
When asked about fighting Kamaru Usman, Lima was very confident.
“Of course I would do great, I’d beat him,” Lima said. “I’d probably KO him. He’s a great wrestler for sure, he wrestles a lot. But man, at any point in that fight if I connect, I can put him away. I don’t even think about that, I just know I can beat him, I can beat anybody at this weight class.
“I’m not talking bad about the guy. He’s a champion there. He’s doing his thing. But, I just know it, man. If one day something like this happens, I definitely believe in myself to go over there and kill it.”
Who do you think would win a fight between Douglas Lima and Kamaru Usman?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 10/29/2019.