Douglas Lima vs. Michael Page, Jake Hager return set for Bellator in May

MMAfighting.com

Bellator’s big card in May is shaping up to be a massive one.

Fresh off his win over Paul Daley last weekend, the undefeated Michael Page will take on Douglas Lima in the semifinals of the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix on May 11 in Rosemont, Ill., the promotion made official Tuesday. Also on the card, former WWE champion Jake Hager makes his second appearance for Bellator.

Page (14-0) beat Daley by close unanimous decision at Bellator 216 on Saturday night. The England native is a perfect 9-0 in Bellator heading into his toughest test to date. Page, 31, is known for his flashy striking style, though he had to grind it out against Daley, who has disputed the decision.

Lima (30-7) is a former two-time Bellator welterweight champion. The Brazil native, who lives and trains in the Atlanta area, defeated Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 206 back in September to advance to the semifinals of the grand prix tournament. Lima, 31, dropped the title to current champion Rory MacDonald in January 2018. A win here would set him up for another title shot.

Hager (1-0) won his Bellator and pro debut at Bellator 214 last month, defeating JW Kiser by first-round submission. The former pro-wrestling star was an All-American in amateur wrestling at the University of Oklahoma. Hager, 36, does not yet have an opponent decided, but he clearly wants to remain active in a year in which he plans on focusing on this transition to MMA.

Bellator’s May card from the Chicago area will be headlined by a bout between two of the best fighters in promotion history — Michael Chandler will defend his lightweight title against Patricio Freire, Bellator’s featherweight champion, in a superfight. Also on the card, top prospect A.J. McKee meets former champion Pat Curran.