Douglas Lima Says Lorenz Larkin Is The Kind of Opponent He’s Wanted

– Douglas Lima spoke with MMAjunkie ahead of his fight with Lorenz Larkin at Bellator NYC. The highlights are below:

On fighting Larkin: “It’s what I wanted – an opponent like Lorenz Larkin. He’s coming off important victories over Neil Magny and Jorge Masvidal, and he’s beat a lot of other tough, high-profile fighters. It’s what I need in my career.”

On beating Andrey Koreshkov: “This last fight against Andrey Koreshkov was great. He’s one of the toughest fighters in our weight class. He’s not only fast, but also strong. He’s big and strong. I knew it’d be a tough fight, but … it went well. I think my low kicks defined the fight from the start. I was landing and hurting him. I think that’s why he rushed me on the third round. He was hurt and probably wouldn’t be able to stand in the fourth or fifth round like that, so he tried to finish me in the third, and that’s how I found the opening for the knockout. I was really happy with that win, especially since it was a KO. People had been praising Koreshkov since he was coming off a win over Benson Henderson. He ran Henderson over, so we were very happy with the fact that I beat Koreshkov the way I did, and when I did.”

On Larkin: “I’ve been following Lorenz for some time now. I really enjoy his fighting style. He always looks for a finish. I think that matches up well with my game. I always envisioned us fighting. I knew his style would make for a great fight with me. I’m really happy, especially since this is Bellator’s first time at Madison Square Garden. It’s an honor. I think our fight could have been the main event. It’s going to be explosive. I’m getting ready. I’m in a great moment in my career. I’m training more intelligently as I get older. We learn with age. I’m almost 30. I want to give everything I have in there. I want to deliver another exciting fight. I’ll look for a knockout or submission.”

On Bellator’s expansion: “This is another chance to prove that we (at Bellator) deserve to be regarded as top fighters. Sometimes people like to claim that a certain fighter never beat anyone good. That’s been said about Koreshkov and Paul Daley. This is just another chance to show what I can do against one of the best in the world. I’m very excited for this fight. I’d like to thank those fans who’ve been with me since the start. And as far as the doubters, I’m here to prove again that I deserve to be at the top and hold this belt. I’m going to defend my belt in spectacular fashion.”