Bellator MMA launching welterweight tournament; Daley, Page, Koreshkov, Lima included

With the Bellator heavyweight Grand Prix in its semifinal stage, fans can look forward to another tournament in what is one of the promotion’s strongest and most talented divisions.

Bellator MMA officials told the Los Angeles Times that an eight-man welterweight field will be formed, with the first matchup(s) taking place on what figures to be an absolutely stacked card on September 29th.

While the entire lineup has not been confirmed, the tournament is set to feature Michael Page, Paul Daley, as well as former champions Douglas Lima and Andrey Koreshkov. Current welterweight champion Rory MacDonald is scheduled to move up to face middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi on that September show in San Jose, but it’s expected that Rory will take part in the tournament in 2019. A trilogy between Lima and Koreshkov has been discussed as an opening round bout, and “MVP” vs. Daley is an all-British showdown that’s been brewing for years.

This all sounds very promising, and unlike the heavyweight tournament, several of these fighters are in their respective primes, so this should produce some quality fighting when it does materialize.

Bellator is holding a press conference in New York City on Tuesday, so more details on that event will soon be revealed. In addition to Mousasi vs. MacDonald, a fourth meeting between longtime rivals Quinton Jackson and Wanderlei Silva is slated for the event.