With the PFL recently releasing a former Bellator champion, the promotion decided to secure another.
On Tuesday, the PFL announced that Douglas Lima signed a “new exclusive, multi-year agreement”. No terms of the agreement were disclosed.
“We are pleased to announce that he will fight in the fall of 2024,” the PFL added in its statement.
Also on May 17, Lima, a former Bellator welterweight champion, made public his displeasure in dealing with the PFL since the promotion took over Bellator.
“I’ve been away for a year,” Lima wrote in X at the time. “What (I) heard was that my purse was too “high” and the PFL didn’t want to pay and honor my last fight on my contract.”
The last guy I beat is fighting for the belt now. Solid win, Costello, great job. I’ve been away for a year, what I heard was that my purse was very “high” and the PFL didn’t want to pay and honor my last fight on my contract. so yes @BellatorMMA @PFLMMA
—Douglas Lima (@PhenomLima) May 17, 2024
Lima (33-11), who re-signed from the PFL, comes on the heels of the promotion parting ways with former Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi after he publicly criticized the PFL for keeping him on the shelf in several interviews, including with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.
Lima, 36, has not competed since beating Costello Van Steenis by unanimous decision in May 2023 at Bellator 296. Prior to that, Lima had gone on a four-fight skid, which began with a title fight defeat to Mousasi in October 2020.
