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NEW YORK – With his eyes set on re-claiming Bellator’s welterweight title, Douglas Lima was “definitely” frustrated to find that getting there would take longer than expected.

“The tournament is good – it’s big,” Lima told MMAjunkie. “They’re doing a big thing with this tournament. But what I wanted is the title. What I wanted is to fight (Rory MacDonald) again.”

But then again, Lima added, “everything happens for a reason.”

With his focus re-shifted toward Bellator’s upcoming welterweight grand prix, and the trilogy bout with fellow ex-champ Andrey Koreshkov that will set it in motion, Lima simply will have to take a different path toward his goal.

“I just want to stay busy,” Lima said. “Hopefully, the tournament doesn’t drag out as much. Doesn’t take too long to finish. But I just want to stay busy and get the belt back and fight Rory again.”

And if there seems to be unfinished business with MacDonald, who dethroned Lima with a unanimous-decision win at Bellator 192, it’s because … well, there is.

“That fight still haunts me today,” Lima said. “(It’s) all on me. I have nobody else to blame but myself. But I’m working on it. I’ve got some new stuff in training, working on some new stuff. Can’t wait to get that fight back. My ultimate goal is be a champion again, get the belt again. Just got to get through this tournament again.”

Clearly, Lima  (29-7 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) has been putting thought into the future, but that doesn’t mean he’s in any way neglecting a very dangerous Koreshkov (20-2 MMA, 11-2 BMMA). They meet Sept. 29 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., where MacDonald (20-4 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will also get a chance at dual championship glory against middleweight title holder Gegard Mousasi.

Lima “had a feeling” that Koreshkov, whom he knocked out in Nov. 2016 to avenge a Bellator 140 unanimous-decision loss, would be in the cards for him at some point. What Lima didn’t expect was for it to happen already in the tournament’s opening round.

“I thought I was going to get a new face,” Lima said.

But, quoting a line that’s become quite familiar to those in the MMA community, “it is what it is.” Getting a repeat also means Lima is familiar with his opponent’s style. And Lima, who says he’s been training since the loss to MacDonald in January, is looking forward to settling the score.

As for how he intends to do that against the man whom he deems “the toughest fight” in Bellator’s stacked welterweight grand prix?

“Finish him again,” Lima said. “He’s the type of guy that, you’ve really got to take his head off to win the fight. He’s a guy who’s always there, he’s always fighting, he’s a complete fighter.

“He’s good striking, wrestling and on the ground. I’ve just got to prepare for everything. Another knockout: That’s what I want, and that’s what I’m going to look for.”

For more on “Bellator: Mousasi vs. MacDonald,” check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.