The champion wants a fight at home.
Punahou alumna Ilima-Lei Macfarlane successfully defended her flyweight world title for the first time with a third-round submission of Alejandra Lara in the main event of Bellator 201 Friday night in Temecula, Calif.
When it was over, she took the microphone for her postfight interview and delivered on a wish she told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser about last week.
“I have been pushing for Bellator Hawaii for a while, and I’m just waiting for an opportunity on the mic in a postfight interview,” Macfarlane said.
She got her chance after extending her Bellator records for most wins, longest active winning streak and most stoppage wins among female fighters when Lara succumbed to an armbar at 3 minutes, 55 seconds in the third round.
Macfarlane is now 8-0 overall and 7-0 in Bellator, with five of her past six victories coming via submission.
Now the 125-pound champion wants to come home.
“I have a small request. I think we should do (my next fight) back in my hometown in Hawaii,” Macfarlane said. “I want a Bellator Hawaii. Let’s take all of this back home to the islands.”
She said she was willing to fight Valerie Letourneau, who improved to 2-0 in Bellator and 10-6 overall with a unanimous decision over Kristina Williams earlier in the night.
Letourneau asked for a title fight after her win.
“I’ve been waiting seven months for this fight,” she said. “Please give me that freakin’ shot.”
Macfarlane agreed.
“I 100 percent agree with her,” Macfarlane said. “She deserves the next shot.”
The Star-Advertiser had Macfarlane ahead 20-18 after two rounds before she finished Lara, who dropped to 7-2 overall. She brought pressure early in the fight but ended up on her back with Lara in her guard. She nearly ended the fight in the first round with an armbar and a triangle choke but couldn’t finish either submission.
Macfarlane managed to score a takedown in the second round after trading knees against the cage.
She landed a few elbows and punches from the top and was in control heading into the third round.
Macfarlane countered a spinning backfist with a takedown and secured the mount position that led to the finish.
“The entire time I thought I wasn’t going to get (the armbar),” Macfarlane said. “Honestly, even though I was in some precarious situations, all I could hear was my corner. All I did was listen to them and they called out every single move.”
Maui’s Tiani Valle lost her Bellator debut on the undercard to Keri Anne Taylor-Melendez by rear-naked choke at 3:15 of the third round in a 115-pound bout.
