Douglas Lima is familiar with Bellator tournaments. However, he’s aware that the welterweight grand prix that kicks off this Saturday at Bellator 206 is a different beast than what he’s experienced.

Under the old guard at Bellator, tournaments were a routine occurrence. Lima (29-7 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) won two of them en route to becoming the organization’s 170-pound champion, and the end goal is the same going into the eight-man field and his opening-round matchup with fellow former titleholder Andrey Koreshkov (21-2 MMA, 12-2 BMMA).

Although Lima, 30, has a lot of tournament experience to rely on, he understands he’s getting into something a little different. The entire tournament is stacked with high-level welterweights, and Lima said that reality only generates more anticipation.

“We have a lot of killers in this tournament,” Lima told MMAjunkie Radio. “The best welterweights on the planet are competing. Hopefully it goes quick and it’s not to long of breaks between fights. I believe this is one of the toughest tournaments in history. The winner here really belongs at the top of the welterweight division. That’s what I plan on doing.”

Bellator 206 takes place at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Lima vs. Koreshkov is part of the DAZN-streamed main card following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Not only is Lima vs. Koreshkov the first fight of the tournament, but it’s a trilogy bout between former champions. Koreshkov, 28, won the first matchup by unanimous decision at Bellator 140 in July 2014, while Lima took the rematch with a third-round knockout at Bellator 164 in November 2016.

It’s been nearly two years since the pair last shared the cage, but Lima, No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, has a pretty good idea what he’s getting himself into against No. 13-ranked Koreshkov. The Brazilian has spent more than 41 minutes slugging it out with the Russian, and although Lima said he doesn’t necessarily have expectations, he knows he must be ready to fight in all areas.

“Koreshkov is one of the toughest guys out there,” Lima said. “I need to be prepared for everything. He’s got good striking, he’s got good wrestling and I know he’s good on top on the ground. There’s no easy way out. You have to be ready to fight everywhere and be ready to bring it. To beat a guy like that you have to finish him. You have to KO him, you have to break something. He’s not just going to give up. That’s the type of fighter you have to prepare for.

“We’re familiar with the styles of course, but it’s a new fight. I don’t know if he’s going to come with a different strategy, but I have to be prepared for everything.”

Lima and Koreshkov have arguably the most storied in-cage rivalry in Bellator welterweight history. The fight isn’t getting a ton in the way of notoriety, though, and that’s likely because it’s right in the middle of a stacked card that includes a champion-vs.-champion fight between Gegard Mousasi and Rory MacDonald, a fourth bout between Quinton Jackson and Wanderlei Silva, as well as the return of top prospect Aaron Pico.

The tournament bout may not be getting the most attention going into the event, but Lima is confident what the world will be discussing once Bellator 206 comes to a conclusion.

“They’re talk about those fights more, but that’s OK,” Lima said. “I think this is the best fight of the night. We’re both competitive, we’re both in the top two or three in Bellator for sure. It’s going to be a good one. It’s an even matchup. Two strikers, we’re excited and we’re fan favorites.”

For more on Bellator 206, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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