MHLAKA, APRIL 23 - BELLATOR 279 BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX QUARTERFINALS Champion Sergio Pettis vs. Izithungo zeRaufeon Patchy Mix vs. UKyoji Horiguchi OKUNINGI, BELLATOR FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Champion Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe 2 And Hawaii’s Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Justine Kish DETAILS FOR FRIDAY, APRIL 22 TO BE ANNOUNCED E-Los Angeles -BELLATOR MMA has announced its return to the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena will play home to an extremely stacked duo of events on back-to-back nights Friday, April 22 noMgqibelo, April 23.
Friday night’sBELLATOR 278 will be a special event free for current military, Veterans, and first responders. Matchups and additional details for the event will be announced shortly.
Saturday night’sBELLATOR 279 will feature the launch of the highly anticipated one-million-dollar BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix. The headliner will see current bantamweight world championUSergio Pettis (22-5) take on No. 3-zibalwa Izithungo zeRaufeon (17-1), while the co-main event features a rematch between the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time, Cris cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) and Australia’s No. 1-zibalwa Arlene Blencowe (15-8), who will look to claim gold in her third attempt at a world title.
NgoMgqibelo BELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 will air live on SHOWTIME at4:30 p.m.Hst Isikhathi sendawo, 10:30 p.m. KANYE / 7:30 p.m. PT. The preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, Isiteshi se-Showtime Sports YouTube kanye nePluto TV eqala lapho 2 p.m. Hst Isikhathi sendawo, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Tickets for Saturday night’sBELLATOR 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 Qhubeka ngokuthengisa lokhu ngoLwesihlanu, March 11 and can be purchased throughBellator.com, kanye ne Ticketmaster.comor the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena Box Office. A special presale will take place on Thursday, March 10.
Also scheduled for a return to action, Honolulu’s own former Women’s Flyweight World ChampionIlima-Lei MacFarlane (11-1) will return home to compete againstJustine Kish (7-5) as the No. 1 ranked women’s flyweight looks to start her journey back to a world title in the same arena two of the most memorable BELLATOR main events in recent memory took place. Opening the four-fight main card is another BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal matchup between No. 2-ranked bantamweightPatchy Mix (15-1) and former BELLATOR and Rizin Bantamweight World ChampionUKyoji Horiguchi (29-4).
Current BELLATOR Bantamweight World Champion Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis sits at No. 7 on the promotion’s pound-for-pound list. He successfully defended his belt for the first time against former BELLATOR 135-pound titleholder Kyoji Horiguchi with a “knockout of the year” style finish atBELLATOR 272 ngoDisemba. The hard-hitting Midwesterner out of Milwaukee originally captured the crown by outpointing former champion Juan Archuleta. The younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will be in for one of the toughest fights of his career when he takes on Raufeon Stots. Stots, who used to train alongside Pettis for several years, has been flawless since making his promotion debut in December 2019. He most recently scored a dominant unanimous decision victory over Magomed Magomedov atBELLATOR 264.
Featherweight world champion and top-ranked women’s pound-for-pound fighter Cris “Cyborg” has made three straight title defenses including a second-round submission of Arlene Blencowe in 2020, which surprisingly is the lone submission victory of her storied career. The Brazilian native who currently fights out of Las Vegas, Nev. is a “Grand Slam Champion” having won belts in four different organizations. She sports 20 wins by finish with victories over elite competition including Holly Holm, Leslie Smith (kabili), Gina Carano and aims to further her legacy as the greatest women’s mixed martial artist of all time in the rematch versus Blencowe. Australia’s Blencowe is BELLATOR’s No. 6 pound-for-pound female fighter and the No. 1 featherweight zibalwa. She has won five of her last six fights and earned her shot at the world title rematch with a unanimous decision over Pam Sorenson at BELLATOR 271 in November.
Currently BELLATOR’s No. 2 ranked bantamweight, Patchy Mix recently defeated James Gallagher via submission in his last outing at BELLATOR 270 in Dublin. Mix has made a name for himself in the BELLATOR cage by displaying impressive submissions and his lone professional loss came to former champion Juan Archuleta. He now faces Horiguchi, another former world champion who hails from Takasaki, Japan. The American Top Team prodigy Horiguchi became a simultaneous, two-promotion champion in 2019 after he upset then-BELLATOR champion Darrion Caldwell while also holding the RIZIN Championship. After he was forced to relinquish his BELLATOR title due to an injury, Horiguchi nearly got his hands back on BELLATOR’s title but was stopped by current champion Sergio Pettis in December. The No. 5 ranked bantamweight now aims to get back in the winning column and recapture his belt, along with the million-dollar prize that awaits the winner of the BELLATOR Bantamweight World Grand Prix.
Bellator mma 279: Pettis vs. Stots / Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 IKhadi Main: Saturday, April 23 - Hlala e ISIKHATHI SOMBUKISO 10:30 p.m. KANYE / 7:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. Hst (local)
Bantamweight World Title Bout: C-Sergio Pettis (22-5) vs. #3-Izithungo zeRaufeon (17-1) Featherweight World Title Bout: C-Cris “Cyborg” (25-2, 1 NC) vs. #1-Arlene Blencowe (15-8) Flyweight Bout: #1-Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (11-1) vs. Justine Kish(7-5) Bantamweight World Grand Prix Bout: #2-Patchy Mix(15-1) vs. #5-UKyoji Horiguchi (29-4)
I-LOS ANGELES – On Thursday, December 10, Bellator MMA presents a long-awaited world title bout featuring a clash of undefeated flyweights, as champIlima-Lei MacFarlane(11-0) defends her 125-pound championship belt against Brazil’sUJuliana Velasquez (10-0) at Bellator 254. The event airs live on CBS Sports Network from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
CBS Sports Network ngeke baveze Bellator 254: Macfarlane vs. Velasquez LIVE in all U.S. izimakethe, while preliminary matchups will stream on CBSSports.com and Bellator MMA’s YouTube channel. Additional bouts will be announced at a later date.
Returning to the Bellator cage for the first time since a victory overKate Jacksonin her hometown of Honolulu last December, Macfarlane will look to continue her dominance over Bellator’s elite woman’s flyweight division as she defends her title against Julianna Velasquez on December 10. The inaugural Bellator flyweight champion, Macfarlane enters the contest with a perfect professional record of 11-0, including eight coming by way of stoppage. Adding to her impressive resume, “The Ilimanator” has the most victories amongst women in the Bellator cage (10) and has no plans of slowing down, as she seeks to add to her legacy inside the cage with her fifth successful title defense atBellator 254. With a professional record of 10-0, Rio de Janeiro’s Juliana Velasquez looks to remain perfect in her first chance at Bellator gold. The black belt judoka will attempt to become the second women’s flyweight champion in Bellator history when she looks to extend her promotional winning streak to six. With prior stoppage wins over Rebecca Ruth and Kristina Williams, Velasquez also defeated former 125-pound title challengerU-Alejandra Laraen route to her upcoming title shot. Much like Macfarlane, the 34-year-old Team Nogueira-product will be competing for the first time in 2020, nearly a year removed from herBellator 236 isinqumo abavumelenephezu Ukunqoba UBrown Ellen.
Kubuyekeziwe Bellator 254: Macfarlane vs. Velasquez IKhadi Main: CBS Sports Network | I-DAZN
I-Flyweight West Isihloko se-bout: Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (11-0) vs. UJuliana Velasquez (10-0)
I-LOS ANGELES– Bellator is proud to announce that welterweight championDouglas Lima (32-7) and flyweight championIlima-Lei MacFarlane (11-0) will continue to compete inside the Bellator cage after signing exclusive multi-year, multi-fight extensions to remain with the ViacomCBS-owned promotion.
“Both Douglas Lima and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane continue to prove they are two of the most dominant fighters on the Bellator roster,” said Bellator President Scott Coker. “They made their Bellator debuts very early on in their careers, have climbed to the top of their respective divisions and have come to represent what this promotion is all about. As champions, both have taken on all challenges and have succeeded in every opportunity. I look forward to watching them continue their careers with us.”
Hailing from Goiania, Brazil and now fighting out of Atlanta, Georgia, the 32-year-old Lima most recently handled Rory MacDonald in a rematch – a Welterweight World Grand Prix final matchup that saw Lima leave as a world champion with a one-million-dollar prize. Since making his promotional debut in 2011, “The Phenom” has earned 14 ngokunqoba, including a trio of world titles and 10 finishes, making the American Top Team-product one of the most dominant fighters in the 170-pound division. With 26 of yakhe 32 Ukunqoba kwemisebenzi kuza ngendlela yokungqongqoza noma ukuhanjiswa, including consecutive dominant finishes overAndrey Koreshkov futhi Michael “Venom” Page”in the first two rounds of the World Grand Prix tournament, Lima has recently made it clear that he now has title aspirations at middleweight.
Born and raised in Honolulu, the inaugural Bellator flyweight champ Macfarlane made her pro debut in 2015 with a KO victory that went viral and has not looked back since, while remaining undefeated in her career. With impressive victories overValerie Letourneaufuthi Veta Arteaga, Macfarlane was the focal point of Bellator’s debut in Hawaii last year and returned to Hawaii with a submission win overKate Jackson lokhu December esidlule. A proud graduate of Honolulu’s Punahou High School in 2009, Macfarlane later attended San Diego State University, where she would go on to earn her Master’s degree in liberal arts and science with a focus on indigenous issues – a subject she remains passionate about, recently launching“The Ilimanator Scholarship”for indigenous girls.
Bellator is a leading global mixed martial arts and kickboxing promotion featuring many of the best athletes in the world. Ngaphansi kokuqondisa esingumakadebona impi umgqugquzeli Scott Coker, Bellator events take place in major cities worldwide and can be seen on television in over 160 countries to an available audience of over one billion people. In the United States, Bellator can be seen on both Paramount Network and DAZN, the world’s first truly dedicated LIVE sports streaming service. Bellator is comprised of an executive team that includes top industry professionals in television production, live umcimbi orchestration, ukuthuthukiswa fighter / ubudlelwano, kwempahla kwenkundla yokudlalela, Indalo uxhaso / ukuthuthukiswa, kwamalayisensi international, marketing, ukukhangisa, emphakathini kanye nobudlelwane ikhomishana. Bellator is based in Hollywood, Calif. and owned by entertainment giant ViacomCBS, ekhaya UNdunankulu ukuzijabulisa brand zezwe ukuxhuma izilaleli kokuqukethwe esicindezelayo yonkana ithelevishini, motion picture, intanethi and mobile.
HONOLULU-On the same night asUBellator kanye ne-USO ekhona: Bingelela amabutho, Bellator is proud to announce the signing of United States Marine Corps veteran and established flyweight competitorLiz Carmouche(13-7) ukuze multi engu-an okukhethekile, multi-impi inkontileka.
Carmouche joins Bellator’s women’s flyweight division following a six-year run in UFC – a tenure that includes world title bouts in both the bantamweight and flyweight divisions, as well as notable wins over Katlyn Chookagian and Jessica Andrade.
Fighting out of San Diego, the 35-year-old Team Hurricane Awesome-product also formerly competed for Strikeforce, notching a pair of victories with the promotion. She earned an additional win over Valentina Shevchenko earlier in her career.
Prior to her days as a professional athlete, the Lafayette, Louisiana-native spent five years serving as an aviation electrician in the United Stated Marine Corps, where she completed three tours of duty in the Middle East. A longtime friend and teammate of Hawaii’s ownIlima-Lei MacFarlane, “Girl-Rilla” finally has the opportunity to compete alongside Bellator women’s flyweight world champion in an already-stacked 125-pound division.
Carmouche’s promotional debut will take place early 2020 in the flyweight division, which is championed by her training partner, Ilima-lei Macfarlane,who headlinesBellator 236on DAZN tomorrow night in Honolulu, Hawaii. The division also features Macfarlane’s opponentKate Jackson, as well as other top athletes competing this weekend in Hawaii, okubala UJuliana Velasquez, Veta Arteaga, UBrown Ellen futhi U-Alejandra Lara.
OKUNINGI, BELLATOR’S FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX CONTINUES AS UNDEFEATED A.J. MCKEE MEETS DEREK CAMPOS IN FIRST QUARTERFINAL MATCHUP
Tickets on sale next Friday, Oct. 11
I-LOS ANGELES– For the second time in as many years, Neal S. Blaisdell Arena e-Honolulu, Hawaii will host the homecoming ofIlima-Lei MacFarlane (10-0), as she puts her undefeated record and Bellator women’s flyweight title on the line against No. 1 Olwa Kate Jackson (11-3-1) in the main event on Saturday, Dec. 21, streamed exclusively on the DAZN app.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, IBellator Hawaii will feature the first quarterfinal matchup of Bellator’s Featherweight World Grand Prix, when the man with the longest winning streak in promotional history, A.J. McKee(15-0), takes on the always-excitingDerek Fields (20-9) in the evening’s co-headliner.
Bellator: Macfarlane vs. UJackson - Omunye we-Star-Powered, year-end highlights of fight season on DAZN – will stream live exclusively onI-DAZN at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, Ngenkathi isenzo sokuqala sizohamba sihamba Bellator.com, I-DAZN nasemhlabeni jikelele ku I-Bellator Mobile App. Tickets go on sale next Friday, Oct. 11 and can be purchased through Bellator.com, as well as Ticketmaster.com or the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena box office. Additional bouts will be announced in the coming weeks.
Born and raised in Honolulu, current Bellator women’s flyweight champ Macfarlane made her pro debut in 2015 with a KO victory that went viral and has not looked back since, remaining undefeated in her career. With impressive victories overValerie Letourneaufuthi Veta Arteaga, Macfarlane was the focal point of Bellator’s debut in Hawaii last year. A proud graduate of Honolulu’s Punahou High School in 2009, Macfarlane later attended San Diego State University, where she would go on to earn her Master’s degree in liberal arts and science with a focus on indigenous issues – a subject she remains passionate about, launching“The Ilimanator Scholarship”for indigenous girls last year. Now Ilima-Lei turns her focus to Kate Jackson, who will be looking to play the role of spoiler when she enters the Bellator cage on December 21.
A winner of seven of her last eight fights, Kate Jackson has earned her way to a title shot against the division’s inaugural champion. A competitor on the 23rd season ofThe Ultimate Fighter, Jackson hails from Lostwithiel, Cornwall, England, and most recently defeatedLena Ovchynnikova in London. Jackson made her Bellator debut in 2017 with a first round-victory over ofColleen Schneiderand would later go on to dominate Anastasia Yankova at historicBellator 200in front of her hometown crowd. Facing the biggest test of her career, Jackson looks to reign atop the flyweight division when she leaves Hawaii.
With an undefeated professional record of 15-0, including six knockouts and eight first round finishes, there doesn’t seem to be much more for the talent-oozing 24-year-old to prove to the MMA community before his name is routinely mentioned among the division’s elite. Ukulwa Ngaphandle Kwebhishi Elide, Calif., “Mercenary” is fresh off of a jaw-dropping performance that saw him finishGeorgi Karakhanyanin only eight seconds just moments after watching his father, U-Antonio McKEE, collect a knockout victory in what was the first ever father-son duo to compete on the same card in the US. With all 15 of his career wins coming under the direction of the Scott Coker-led promotion, the Team BodyShop product has made it clear that he has his sights onPatricio "Pitbull"and his 145-pound belt, as he continues to build a strong argument as the new face of Bellator. Constantly looking for new records to break, McKee may have found the perfect match in Campos, as the two brawlers have combined for a remarkable 22 finishes over 36 career ngokunqoba.
Fighting out of Lubbock, Texas, Campos will be competing in the first of the four quarterfinal matchups in Bellator’s Featherweight World Grand Prix, following a decisive victory over former featherweight world championDaniel Straus at Bellator 226this past September. The 31-year-old knockout artist is ready to build on his impressive professional record of 20-9, when he takes on undefeated superstar McKee on December 21. Always ready to trade blows, the heavy-handed veteran has spent much of his time competing in Bellator’s lightweight and welterweight divisions over the past six years of his career. Manje, “The Stallion” hopes to continue his impressive surge in the 145-pound class, as he prepares to go toe-to-toe with one of the most dangerous featherweights in the world. With a shot at one million dollars on the line, Campos will rely on his fearless fighting style and sound wrestling background if he wants to advance in what many have pinned as one of the most anticipated matchups in the second round.
IBellator Hawaii: Macfarlane vs. Jackson IKhadi Main:
I-Flyweight West Isihloko se-bout: Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (10-0) vs. Kate Jackson (11-3-1)
I-FeatherWEORY WOLY GRAnd Grand Prix Quarterfinal Bout: A.J. McKee (15-0) vs. Derek Fields (20-9)
Rory MacDonald (20-5-1) futhi Jon Fitch (32-7-2, 1 NC) fought to a majority draw (48-46, 47-47, 47-47) – MacDonald retains the welterweight title and advances in the Welterweight World Grand Prix
Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (10-0) wanqoba Veta Arteaga (5-3) via TKO (Udokotela stoppage) at 1:50 of round three to retain the women’s flyweight title
San Jose, Calif. - All 18 bouts for the highly anticipatedBellator 220: MacDonald vs. Fitchumcimbi, streamed exclusively onI-DAZN, have been announced when Bellator returns home to the SAP Center at San Jose on Saturday, April 27.
Two title fights sit atop the card, as Bellator welterweight championRory MacDonald (20-5) defends his title world againstJon Fitch (31-7-1, 1 NC) in the final opening round bout of the Welterweight World Grand Prix, while undefeated Bellator flyweight championIlima-Lei MacFarlane(9-0) returns to action againstVeta Arteaga(5-2) in the evening’s co-headliner.
Bellator220: MacDonald vs. Fitchwill stream live exclusively onI-DAZN, the fastest-growing sports streaming service in the world, at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT, ngenkathi isinyathelo kwangaphambilini ziyogelezela ku Bellator.com nasemazweni omhlaba phezu Bellator Mobile App.
Limited tickets remain available at the ThreatMetrix Ticket Office at SAP Center at San Jose, as well as Ticketmaster.com and Bellator.com.
Three former world champions will also appear on the main card, njengoba Benson Henderson (26-8) takes on the Bay Area’s ownAdam Piccolot (11-2) at engasindi, ngenkathi Phil Davis(19-5, 1 NC) izoyisebenzisa emuva Liam McGeary (13-3) ekukhanyeni action sosondonzima. Ukwengeza, featherweight Gaston bolanos (4-1) looks to add to hisimpressive highlight reelwhen he kicks off the main card versusUNathan webiwe (8-4).
Preliminary action forBellator 220: MacDonald vs. Fitchwill feature the U.S. debut of second-generation Israeli fighterAviv Gozali (1-0) in his sophomore appearance againstTravis Crain (Pro Debut).
Complete Bellator 220: MacDonald vs. FitchIKhadi Main:
Welterweight World Grand Prix Title Bout: Rory MacDonald (20-5) vs. Jon Fitch (32-7-1, 1 NC)
Women’s Flyweight World Title Bout: Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (9-0) vs. Veta Arteaga (5-2)
Ikhadi Elikhulu Elincane Light: Benson Henderson (26-8) vs. Adam Piccolot (11-2)
Light Heavyweight Main Card Bout: Phil Davis (19-5, 1 NC) vs. Liam McGeary (13-3)
I-Featherweight Card Bout: Gaston bolanos (4-1) vs. UNathan webiwe (8-4)
