Bellator signs champs Douglas Lima, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane to contract extensions

Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima and women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane won’t be going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

The two fighters have signed multi-year, multi-fight contract extensions with Bellator, the promotion announced Monday. Neither fighter currently has an upcoming fight on the books.

“Both Douglas Lima and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane continue to prove they are two of the most dominant fighters on the Bellator roster,” Bellator president Scott Coker said in a statement. “They made their Bellator debuts very early on in their careers, have climbed to the top of their respective divisions and have come to represent what this promotion is all about. As champions, both have taken on all challenges and have succeeded in every opportunity. I look forward to watching them continue their careers with us.”

Lima (32-7 MMA, 14-3 BMMA) is riding high off a welterweight grand prix tournament victory in 2019. En route to recapturing 170-pound gold, Lima finished Andrey Koreshkov and Michael Page, before avenging a 2018 loss to Rory MacDonald in October. Lima, 32, has won six out his last seven fights.

As for Macfarlane (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA), the Hawaiian continued her career-long unbeaten streak in December. At Bellator 236, Macfarlane thrilled the hometown crowd in Honolulu when she defeated Kate Jackson by unanimous decision. The victory marked the fourth time Macfarlane has defended her strap since winning it in November 2017.