Welterweights Douglas Lima, Chidi Njokuani Matched for Bellator 156 Co-Main Event

Tristen CritchfieldApr 05, 2016

Douglas Lima will return to the action for the first time since losing his welterweight title when he meets Chidi Njokuani in the Bellator 156 co-main event.

Promotion officials announced the 170-pound pairing on Tuesday. Bellator 156 takes place at Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif., on June 17 and is headlined by a bantamweight championship rematch between Marcos Galvao and Eduardo Dantas. The evening’s main card airs on Spike at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.

Lima lost the welterweight crown in a five-round verdict against Andrey Koreshkov at Bellator 140 last July, snapping a five-fight winning streak for “The Phenom.” Lima is 8-2 under the Bellator banner overall, with his only other defeat coming at the hands of departed ex-champ Ben Askren.

Njokuani enters the contest unbeaten in his last six bouts, including a unanimous decision victory over Ricky Rainey in his promotional debut at Bellator 146. The 27-year-old Las Vegas resident is 14-4 in his pro career, with eight wins via knockout or technical knockout.