4 burning questions heading into Bellator 232
Bellator has stacked the deck for its second show of the weekend, with Bellator 232 set to deliver a packed night of fights at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The main event features a battle for the Bellator welterweight title and the $1 million tournament prize, while another of Bellator’s 170-pound stars looks to push his own title claims in the night’s co-headliner. Meanwhile, the main card also features the latest chapter in the career of one of the sport’s most remarkable athletes, as well as the eagerly awaited Bellator debut of one of the best kickboxers on the planet.
Here are four burning questions ahead of Saturday night’s fights.
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Does Rory MacDonald or Douglas Lima walk away with the belt … and $1 million?
The main event in Uncasville serves up a million-dollar championship rematch as Rory MacDonald looks to retain his title against the man he defeated to win the belt in January 2018, Douglas Lima, in the final of the Bellator welterweight grand prix.
MacDonald (21-5-1 MMA, 3-1-1 BMMA) followed up that title win with an unsuccessful shot at the middleweight strap before moving back home to 170 for the tournament and retaining his title with a draw against Jon Fitch and a unanimous decision over Neiman Gracie.
While MacDonald heads into the weekend with a loss, a draw and a win from his last three, Lima (31-7 MMA, 13-3 BMMA) arrives in Connecticut on the back of a submission over former champion Andrey Koreshkov and stunning knockout of Michael Page in the semfinals. On paper, at least, the Brazilian carries the momentum edge, but MacDonald is a big-game performer.
Will “The Red King” retain the title and walk away with the check, or will “The Phenom” become a three-time Bellator champ and bank a cool million in the process?
