Bellator 267: Lima vs MVP 2 preview, weigh-in results

Bellator returns to not-so-jolly old England for a rematch that could have serious career repercussions.

Remember when MVP got knocked out viciously by Douglas Lima? Of course you do.

It was Page’s biggest step up against the upper crust of Bellator’s welterweight after years of mostly facing overmatched opposition. But did that slam the door shut on the Page Project that Bellator was working on?

It’s no secret that the organization thinks highly of him, and they should. He’s brash, fun to watch and capable of thrilling exploits inside the cage. The question surrounding experience and ability to face the big dogs was one that dogged him for a long time. And it seems that we got an answer in that fight.

At least for that moment.

Since then, Lima (32-9) recaptured Bellator gold against Rory MacDonald, then lost two straight against Gegard Mousasi (who just keeps beating back welterweights, it seems) and current champ Yarolsav Amosov. But has he kept the faith and focus to get back in the saddle and return to the win column? All things seem to suggest he’s still the dedicated talent he’s always been, and he’s back against a rangy striker that won’t outwrestle him. Plus, it’s a fighter he’s beaten before. As long as he’s not complacent with that last fact, underestimating a previous vanquished foe, he should be the clear and absolute favorite.

But where does this leave Page? For starters, Page is still sitting pretty at the #2 spot in the welterweight rankings. That means he’s most likely to fight for the belt with a win here. A loss may seal him out of title contention for a good while, to say the least. But Lima stands way more to lose with a loss here, as any concerns regarding the possible end of his peak would be validated.

Lima’s been the better fighter against better opposition for a longer period of time. Page could pull off a stunner, but Lima’s seen the tricks in his arsenal, so it’s still an uphill battle for him after all this time.

Leah McCourt (5-1) has been another talent that Bellator has had high expectations of, and so far, she’s delivered. With wins over Judith Ruis and the UFC’s Manon Fiorot, McCourt just snagged a great submission win over Janay Harding in her last outing. She meets Florida’s Jessica “Black Widow“ Borga (3-3).

Former UFC talent Robert Whiteford (16-4) is also back for the first time since 2019, having hammered out wins against Kevin Petshi, Nam Phan and Sam Sicilia. He’s up against England’s Andrew Fisher (18-8, 1 draw) while on a four-fight win streak, which includes wins over Akop Stepanyan and Niklas Backstrom. With a penchant for submissions and a lanky frame, he should be a fun foil for Whiteford with their grappling styles.

Yannick Bahati (9-5) is no stranger to wild brawls and imposing himself on opponents with his top game, and he’ll face a stiff test as he attempts to beat back another young and hungry prospect in Luke Trainer (4-0). Standing at 6’6, he’s got a bunch of submission wins across his pro and amateur runs.

The exciting Lewis Long (18-6) is back against Michael Dubois (11-7), while the dangerous Kane Mousah (13-3) meets Davy Gallon (18-7, 2 draws).

There was a great countdown video done for this event as well, which you can check out right here:

You can check out the weigh-ins here:

Full card is as follows:

Main Card starting at 4:00pm EST

Douglas Lima (169.4) vs. Michael Page (170)

Leah McCourt (145.8) vs. Jessica Borga (145.8)

Robert Whiteford (144.8) vs. Andrew Fisher (145.8)

Luke Trainer (205.2) vs. Yannick Bahati (206)

Tim Wilde (155.6) vs. Yves Landu (154.4)

Prelims starting at 1:00pm EST

Michael Dubois (170.2) vs. Lewis Long (169.8)

Kane Mousah (155.2) vs. Davy Gallon (155.1)

Petra Castkova (125.6) vs. Elina Kallionidou (124.4)

Jack Grant (169.4) vs. Nathan Jones (170.6)

Fabacary Diatta (145.2) vs. Nathan Rose (145)

Chiara Penco (114.8) vs. Katharina Dalisda (115.4)

Khurshed Kakhorov (134.8) vs. Jair Junior (136)

Bellator 267: Lima vs MVP 2 starts super early for us stateside with the prelims at 1:00pm EST streaming on YouTube, with the main card starting at 4:00pm EST on Showtime.