Bellator 140: Lima vs. Koreshkov Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

It's been more than a year since Douglas Lima was in the Bellator cage, but the reigning welterweight champion will return on Friday night to defend his title against the highly touted Andrey Koreshkov.

The bout is the main event for Bellator 140 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Injuries have kept Lima away from the sport since he won the title from Rick Hawn in April 2014. He currently has a record of 26-5 as a professional and a streak of five straight wins with each coming by KO.

Lima reintroduces himself to the MMA world in the video below from Bellator on YouTube:

Much like the champion, Koreshkov has been sidelined since mid-2014 due to injury. Thus this fight marks the return of two very talented 170-pounders to the Bellator fight scene. Speaking to The MMA Report's Jason Floyd, Koreshkov talked about his and Lima's layoff heading into the fight:

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“Of course, I think there is nothing good in the fact that a fighter can not compete for a long period of time,” Koreshkov said through a translator. “Layoff is never good for a fighter. But at the same time, Douglas Lima is in the same condition as myself because he was not able to fight for over a year for the same reason. An injury so we are in the same condition as him and that has kind of put us on an even surface. We will be in an even condition, so I do not think it will be that bad.”

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Before he was injured, Koreshkov had compiled a record of 17-1, and that includes four straight wins. Someone's streak has to end, and it will be the challenger's. In what figures to be a stand-up affair boosted by vicious strikes, the 24-year-old Russian's chin will not hold up.

In his lone loss, he was stopped by Ben Askren in July 2013. Lima is the more dynamic and explosive striker. He also hasn't been stopped by strikes since he lost to Matt "The Immortal" Brown eight years ago when he was just 19 years old.

Lima's toughness and destructive striking will lead to a KO victory. Expect this matchup to be one heck of a scrap.

In all, there will be two preliminary fights streamed on Spike.com and five fights broadcast on Spike TV. Here's the viewing information and predictions for the card:

Spike.com Prelims at 7 p.m. ET
Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET
Matchup	Weight Class	Prediction
Rodrigo Almeida vs. Blair Tugman	Bantamweight	Almeida by TKO
Parker Porter vs. Eric Bedard	Heavyweight	Porter by TKO
Matchup	Weight Class	Prediction
Roger Carroll vs. Brennan Ward	Welterweight	Ward by submission
Dennis Olson vs. Paul Daley	Welterweight	Daley by TKO
Rudy Bears vs. Michael Page	Welterweight	Page by KO
Paul Bradley vs. Chris Honeycutt	Welterweight	Honeycutt by TKO
Andrey Koreshkov vs. Douglas Lima	Welterweight	Lima by KO

Chris Honeycutt Is on a Mission

The powerful and determined Chris Honeycutt will get a decent test from Paul Bradley. However, the 26-year-old from Fresno, California, is a wrecking machine who is a bit more athletic than Bradley.

For the first time, Honeycutt will be in the cage with a fighter whose wrestling background is even more impressive than his own. Still, the speed and explosiveness Honeycutt possesses will be the difference.

This will be the biggest win yet for the future contender as he makes his way up the Bellator welterweight ladder.

Michael Page Will Delight

Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

There's no way Rudy "Bad News" Bears can handle the athleticism, length and striking diversity that Michael "Venom" Page brings into the cage. Aside from being four inches shorter than Page, Bears has also made a habit of losing by stoppage in his career.

He has 16 wins and 13 losses, with 11 of the defeats coming by TKO/KO or submission. Those futility numbers will go up after facing Page on Friday night. Watch for a destructive strike to crumple en route to a KO.

It's only a matter of time before Page becomes the must-see fighter in Bellator. He has a flair about him, and he can really fight. He and Lima will one day headline one of the biggest and best Bellator cards of all time.

There's going to come a point when Michael "Venom" Page is the biggest star Bellator has signed to its company. 

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