SAN JOSE, Calif. – If you need proof that Bellator welterweights are the best in the world, ex-champ Andrey Koreshkov said look no further than Rory Maconald.

The current Bellator titleholder has a win over current UFC champ Tyron Woodley, and he could potentially defend his belt three times in the upcoming welterweight grand prix. By Saturday, MacDonald (20-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) could also hold the middleweight belt if successful in beating champ Gegard Mousasi (44-6-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA).

Koreshkov (20-2 MMA, 11-2 BMMA) said whoever’s holding the belt at the end of the 170-pound tourney can rightfully claim himself the best in the world.

“I think that the fighters in this tournament, almost all of them are really top level fighters,” he told MMAjunkie. “Most of the rankings are UFC biased. Rory MacDonald has beat many of the top guys, including the current champ, and as far as I know, he’s not even ranked in the top-10 according to some of the rankings.

“So basically, most of the rankings are biased toward the UFC. My opinion is that the quality of fighters in the tournament (is) good enough (so the winner) can call himself the best,” he said.

Koreshkov kicks off his journey to earn that accolade on Saturday when he meets ex-champ Douglas Lima (29-7 MMA, 11-3 BMMA). The have split a pair of bouts and fight a rubber match on the DAZN-streamed main card of Bellator 206, which takes place at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.

When Koreshkov got the call to face Lima, he was a little surprised that his first appearance in the tournament would be someone so familiar.

“I would have preferred to fight Rory in the first fight,” he said.

No wonder, because he would then hold the belt. Of course, he predicts he’ll advance past Lima and make it to the finals. But as to whether MacDonald will be waiting in the end, or another competitor will seize the title, he’s not sure.

“It’s hard to make such predictions right now, because I haven’t fought in the finals yet,” he said. “So now, all my thoughts are on Lima.

“But after I beat him, I will be thinking about the next fight, Paul Daley vs. Michael (“Venom”) Page. At this moment, it doesn’t really matter.”

Koreshkov not only goes into the tournament looking to take home the title, and now, earn a $1 million payout offered the winner. He also seeks redemption for a knockout loss to Lima in their previous meeting, which took place in November 2016.

The tactical error that led to a crushing blow is something Koreshokov vows not to repeat.

“We will take all that into consideration preparing for this fight, and that will make the fight different,” he said. “I think the third fight will be different for both of us, because right now, we know each other much better than we did before the second fight.”

Koreshkov doesn’t know what comes next after Saturday night, but he’s certain that he will face more world-class opposition.

For more on Bellator 206, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.