Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima announced Tuesday morning that he has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled Bellator 134 title defense against Paul Daley after suffering an injury in training.
“I’m again devastated to announce but I did get injured again in camp,” tweeted Lima. “Recovery is just 4-6 weeks, I should be able to fight April or May.”
The news marks yet another setback for Lima (26-5), a dangerous and well-regarded finisher who has been relegated to the sidelines since winning his belt with a second-round TKO of Rick Hawn in April 2014. That fight pushed Lima’s Bellator record to 8-1 and extended his streak of KO/TKO finishes to five straight.
Bellator officials have yet to confirm whether Daley will remain on the card, although the British striker indicated on his Facebook that he will fight a replacement opponent at Bellator 134.
Keep talking homie… Wait till I put my hands on you! Just wait I’ll be healthy soon enough…. pic.twitter.com/jWed11G1SI
— Douglas Lima (@PhenomLima) January 20, 2015
Daley (35-13-2) has won six of his past seven fights, all of which he ended via KO/TKO. Daley made quick work of Rudy Bears in his Bellator debut, finishing Bears with punches inside the first round back in July 2012. Visa issues prevented Daley from returning stateside following that win, however those issues have since been amended.
Bellator 134 takes place Feb. 27, 2015 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.