A promotion official confirmed the pairing to Sherdog.com on Wednesday following a report from the Los Angeles Times. The event, which does not yet have a number, will take place at the Forum. The evening’s main card will be televised on Spike.
Lima, a two-time Bellator champion, regained the 170-pound strap with a third-round knockout of Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 164 on Nov. 10. He defended his crown at Bellator: NYC on June 24 with a five-round verdict over UFC and Strikeforce veteran Lorenz Larkin. “The Phenom” is 11-2 during his Bellator tenure, with his only defeats coming to Koreshkov and Ben Askren.
“I haven’t been this healthy in a long time and Rory is going to be just another win on my record,” Lima said in a release.
MacDonald, a 13-time UFC veteran, made his promotional debut against Paul Daley at Bellator 179, winning via rear-naked choke in the second round. “The Red King” challenged for welterweight gold at UFC 189, losing a slugfest to Robbie Lawler in one of 2015’s best fights.
“When I signed with Bellator, I made it clear I wanted to take over — multiple weight classes and multiple championships,” MacDonald said. “Douglas Lima and his title are first on the list before I move onto the next.”