Bellator
Bellator Champ Douglas Lima sidelined until early 2015 with rib injury
Sep 22, 2014 - 6:05:39 PM Bellator Champ Douglas Lima sidelined until early 2015 with rib injury

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

26-year-old Bellator Champ Douglas Lima captured the vacant title back in April, forcing a corner stoppage against Rick Hawn with a beatdown at Bellator 117.

He's got another opponent lined up in tourney winner Andrey Koreshkov, but the belt won't be on the line again in 2014. Lima revealed this week that he's been nursing a rib injury as of late, and so his next fight won't be coming until the new year.

"I'm about six weeks off training right," Lima said in an interview with MMAJunkie.com. [I hurt] my rib cartilage. It is what it is. [It happened] training – grappling, sparring, or something. I need a few months off."

"Andrey Koreshkov is next in line. But I'm not sure [when the fight will happen] because I heard he just had surgery on his shoulder... Maybe January or February of next year. He's injured, I'm injured, so we'll see."

Penick's Analysis: Thankfully it's not a seriously debilitating injury, but it's unfortunate to have the top fighter in the division for any organization on the shelf. Still, if he can get back by January or February, he stands to be a part of Bellator's new vision in 2015.