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From the outside looking in, it might appear former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima is in a bad spot. After all, the 34-year-old Brazilian is on the first three-fight slide of his 16-year professional career, going more than two-and-a-half years without tasting victory.
Of course, the first of those losses actually came against former middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi, when Lima looked to move up a division in a bid to hold two titles simultaneously. The second loss came to current welterweight champ Yaroslav Amosov, while the third was against top contender Michael "Venom" Page.
Sure, Lima would much rather have his hand raised every time out, but he also realizes the reality of facing the absolute best in the world each time he steps in the cage.
"It's the game we play," Lima told MMA Underground. "Every fight is like this. Every fight is tough. I've been fighting the best of the world in my division, but it is what it is. When I was younger, you'd probably hear me crying, 'Yo, should I keep doing this? This is not for me,' but I mean, I've been in this long enough. I've been in this game for, like, 20 years, man. Nothing really changes. Some close fights, setbacks – stuff like that happens. Me, I'm just moving forward.
"For me, it's a win-win situation right now, no matter what. I mean, stuff like that doesn't bug me. I don't care what people say. I feel good in training, man. I don't feel like I lost a step. You know what I mean? If I ever see that, if I see that I can't compete at the top level anymore, I'll hang the gloves up, but right now, I feel good, man."
