Now that she’s back in the win column, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane can allow herself to think about the perfect ending to her MMA career.
Macfarlane (12-2 MMA, 11-2 BMMA), a former women’s flyweight champion, snapped a two-fight skid when she beat Bruna Ellen (6-4 MMA, 4-4 BMMA) by unanimous decision at Bellator 284 on Friday. That skid included the loss of her title to Juliana Velasquez in 2020, then an upset loss earlier this year in front of her home fans in Honolulu.
Macfarlane has been open about her desire to wrap up her Bellator contract with another title win, then retire. If she takes the belt back now, it’d be against her friend, teammate and current champ Liz Carmouche – which is exactly how she’d like it to go.
