“I Got Beat Up By Everybody in the Gym”: Douglas Lima Recollects Sparring With Gegard Mousasi

Preparing for his Bellator debut against Alexander Shlemenko way back in 2017, Gegard Mousasi happened on the company’s Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima. Lima recounts their encounter with a post on social media. Mousasi and Lima are now preparing to face each other in the octagon. The fight will take place to occupy the vacant Middleweight Title on the 9th of May at Bellator 243. Ahead of the fight, Douglas Lima recalls a fateful sparring session.

This is not the first time the two fighters will face each other in the cage. The first time would be when they sparred with each other in 2017 in Germany. And Douglas Lima admits that Mousasi triumphed in that session. Mousasi had just quit the UFC and was preparing for his first fight and Lima was visiting the country in order to train with Roberto Soldic. Lima opened up in detail about the session.

“I was training with my friend Soldic in Germany, and Mousasi goes there to spar every Saturday, Mousasi invited me to spar, and I accepted. I was completely out of shape and got beat up by everybody in the gym. But it was great, it was quite interesting. They welcomed me really well there.”- Douglas Lima to MMA Fighting. 

Douglas Lima Predicts a Knockout

Even though Lima was bested by Mousasi, he says Mousasi should not consider that session for this fight. He insists the outcome of the fight will be in his favor. Lima adds that it has been a long time since then and this is a real fight. The Phenom said that the fight will be nothing like the sparring session and he will be looking for the knockout the entire time.

“This is a fight, you know? He obviously took something from that, and so did I. I picked up a few things here and there. But it’s completely different now, I can guarantee you that. As we always say, training is different from fighting.”- Douglas Lima

Seemingly excited, the Brazilian looks forward to the fight. He feels The Dreamcatcher will prove to be a great opponent because of the names he has fought and the victories he has. Will history repeat itself or will Douglas Lima outclass Gegard Mousasi?