Douglas Lima booked for Bellator return after lengthy, messy contract dispute

Former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima will make his return to the cage at 185lbs after his rocky relationship with the PFL was repaired.

Lima will face middleweight contender Aaron Jeffery at Bellator Champions Series: San Diego on September 7th. He returns to the cage following a 16-month hiatus, stemming from his unanimous decision win over Costello Van Steenis at Bellator 296.

Bellator and the PFL announced the Lima vs. Jeffery booking in a press release on Wednesday.

Lima’s return comes after months of waiting for the former Bellator titleholder’s next booking, since PFL’s acquisition of Bellator. He spoke out publically in May about his frustration with the matchmakers and accused the league of not fulfilling his contract.

As matchmaker Mike Kogan told BJPenn.com in May, Lima will make his return to 185lbs. At least for now, his welterweight run has concluded.

Douglas Lima vs. Aaron Jeffery added to Bellator San Diego

https://twitter.com/BellatorMMA/status/1811063469002629232

Lima will face a tough middleweight return against Jeffery. A winner of four of his last six fights, Jeffery is looking to get back on track after a unanimous decision loss to Fabian Edwards in March.

Jeffery has earned wins over the likes of Dalton Rosta, Austin Vanderford, and Fabio Aguiar during his promotional tenure. He’s also a Dana White’s Contender Series alum, falling to Caio Borralho during the 2021 season of the show.

Lima is one of the most accomplished fighters in Bellator history. A three-time Bellator welterweight champion, Lima has defeated the likes of Rory MacDonald, Michael ‘Venom’ Page, and Andrey Koreshkov during his promotional tenure.

Lima vs. Jeffery serves as a potential No. 1 contender fight in the middleweight division. Van Steenis, who Lima defeated in his last fight, is also in the hunt after defeating Gregory Babene in May.

Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen will face Edwards on September 14th in London. The Lima vs. Jeffery winner could potentially be next in line for a title shot.