Lima Shedding His Prospect Skin

---

Some life progressions just seem natural, like Douglas Lima’s transition to mixed martial arts.

As a kid, Lima was weaned on a steady diet of Jean Claude Van Damme movies. By age 12, he began practicing muay Thai and jiu-jitsu. He had his first professional fight at 18. Now 23, the Brazilian known as “The Phenom” is two victories away from a shot at the Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight title.

Lima meets Chris Lozano in the semifinals of the promotion’s Season 5 welterweight tournament at Bellator 53 on Saturday at the Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Okla. The other half of the 170-pound bracket pits UFC veteran Ben Saunders against Sapo Fight Team representative Luis Santos. The eventual winner receives $100,000 and a shot at the victor of the Bellator 56 title fight between current champion Ben Askren and Jay Hieron.

“I think Lozano is a tough opponent. He’s a guy that comes to fight the whole time -- got some good hands. I’m ready for him,” Lima told Sherdog.com.

A rising prospect based out of American Top Team Atlanta, Lima already has championship experience, capturing the Maximum Fighting Championship welterweight strap with a victory over Jesse Juarez at MFC 27 in November. Fighting for that title has helped Lima prepare for the greater scrutiny that comes with climbing the promotional ladder.

“There was a lot more media with the MFC, and I had never fought in a place like that, with all the cameras and lights,” he said. “It was a little pressure going in; everybody has it. I was ready mentally, and that’s what matters.”

Lima defended his crown once -- he knocked out Terry Martin at MFC 29 -- before signing with Bellator and taking a unanimous decision against Steve Carl in the tournament quarterfinals.

With 11 submissions among his 19 wins, Lima is known for his skill on the ground. Nowhere was that more evident than against Juarez, as Lima was held down for the better part of two rounds before deftly securing a triangle armbar in the third frame. However, his standup came to the forefront against Martin, when the Brazilian stunned his opponent with a right hook and finished the bout with a flurry of punches just 1:14 into round one. Lima would like to let his hands go more often but admits that it is easy to revert back to what he knows best.

“Eventually, I want [everyone] to see what my striking’s like. It depends on the fight. Most of the fights I can’t really show what I can do standing,” he said. “I love going to the ground. If the fight goes there, I’m not really trying to fight to get up. I like to fight on the ground and showcase my submissions.”

As the level of competition increases, Lima realizes he will have to continue to evolve.

“I’m training really hard [in] my wrestling and the striking. I just want to be a complete fighter,” he said. “Nowadays, you can’t just be good in jiu-jitsu; you can’t just be a striker.”

Lima idolized Wanderlei Silva growing up and credits the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships star with providing the inspiration he needed to choose fighting as a career. Lima views his debut as something of a tribute to “The Axe Murderer.”

“I love his style,” Lima said. “The first actual fight that I saw was him stomping people, jumping on top of their heads. I wanted to be like him. I picked up the jiu-jitsu better, but my first real fight was all about trading punches and going after the guy like he did.”

When Lima moved to Atlanta from Brazil approximately 12 years ago, he began training with Junior Assuncao, in part because the UFC veteran was the only person he knew in the area that practiced MMA. “He’s the one that got me ready for my first fight,” Lima said. Now Lima is entrenched at the camp, learning under the tutelage of head trainer and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt Roan Carneiro. The group of fighters that trains in Atlanta is not nearly as well known as the gym’s Florida affiliate, but Lima sees that changing.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that are up and coming,” he said. “There’s a lot of guys that people aren’t familiar with, but they’ll show up a little later. It’s great training. I never complain, and everything’s good for me here.”

One of the up-and-comers is his 20-year-old brother, Dhiego Lima. Also a welterweight, Dhiego is unbeaten in six fights and has followed in his sibling’s footsteps by competing under the MFC banner. Dhiego was originally scheduled to fight the same weekend as his brother -- against Martin at MFC 31 -- but an injury will prevent Dhiego from trying to give the family a second victory over the UFC veteran.

Nonetheless, Lima sees big things down the road from his little brother.

“I’ve been doing [MMA] a lot longer than him, but, man, the kid picked it up really fast. Before, I used to beat him up easy. Nowadays, it’s not the same thing. The kid’s strong; he gives me a run,” Lima said. “He’s gonna do some damage in the future. He’s doing it right now, [but] it’s gonna be even worse in the future. The kid is a man.”

Meanwhile, Lima continues to use the high hopes surrounding his own future in the sport as motivation He acknowledges that going from prospect to serious contender does not happen overnight. Lima appreciates the expectations.

“It makes me happy, but I try not to get that too much in my head. For me, I’m still a beginner. There’s a lot for me to do,” he said. “There’s a lot of people looking forward to see what I can do. I train every [day] just not to disappoint those people that are expecting something good out of me. It just makes me really happy that the hard work is finally paying off.”