Lima defeats MacDonald to win welterweight title

Douglas Lima captured the welterweight title by earning a unanimous decision over Rory MacDonald in the Bellator 232 main event.

After feeling each other out in the opening round, Lima found a home for his jab several times throughout the five-round affair. MacDonald struggled to get takedowns and didn't land any significant shots during the championship rematch.

The most significant moment came early in the fourth round when Lima landed a leg kick that slammed into the Tristar product. In the fifth, MacDonald desperately went for a takedown which forced Lima backward, but the ATT Atlanta product reversed and ended up in top position, raining down shots.

After going the distance, the judges awarded Lima the decision on scores of 49-46 and 50-45 twice. Lima took home the $1-million purse after defeating MacDonald, Michael Page, and Andrey Koreshkov as part of the welterweight Grand Prix tournament. The 31-year-old also became a three-time Bellator welterweight champion with the win.

That was the last fight on MacDonald's Bellator contract and told theScore earlier this week his future in MMA remains unclear. The Canadian has now gone winless in three of his last four fights.