UNCASVILLE, Conn. – After her first successful defense of the women’s flyweight title this past Friday at Bellator 289, Liz Carmouche had a number in mind.
That number was 135, as in a Bellator women’s bantamweight division, which doesn’t currently exist. Carmouche fought at bantamweight in the UFC and met Ronda Rousey in that promotion’s inaugural women’s bantamweight title fight nearly 10 years ago.
After Carmouche (18-7 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) beat former champion Juliana Velasquez (12-2 MMA, 7-2 BMMA) in a rematch, she made her pitch for Bellator to open a women’s bantamweight division. Such a move would require an inaugural title fight – and she wants to move 10 pounds north to be in that proposed bout against her teammate, former women’s flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.
