Bellator MMA will return to the Forum on Jan. 20 by flexing the strength of its deep welterweight division, matching champion Douglas Lima against former UFC title challenger Rory MacDonald.

“When I signed with Bellator, I made it clear I wanted to take over — multiple weight classes and multiple championships,” MacDonald said in a prepared statement. “Douglas Lima and his title are first on the list before I move onto the next.”

Tickets for the card are scheduled to go on sale at 10 a.m. Sept. 29 at Ticketmaster.

MacDonald (19-4), a 28-year-old Canadian, debuted in Bellator by defeating England’s Paul Daley by rear naked chokehold in May.


He departed the UFC following a loss to Stephen Thompson, after engaging in a riveting 2015 title loss to Robbie Lawler.

In Brazil’s Lima, 29, MacDonald confronts a champion who successfully defended his belt at New York’s Madison Square Garden on June 24, defeating Riverside’s Lorenz Larkin by unanimous decision.

“I haven’t been this healthy in a long time and Rory is going to be just another win on my record,” Lima said in the prepared statement.

Bellator President Scott Coker, who staged a Tito Ortiz vs. Chael Sonnen main event at the Forum in January, said the upcoming main event will illustrate the talent in his welterweight division.


“These two are going to put on an incredible show,” he said.

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