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Ilima-Lei Macfarlane retains flyweight title at Bellator 236

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Ilima-Lei Macfarlane won for the second straight December in her home state.
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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane won for the second straight December in her home state.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, left, exchanges blows with Kate Jackson.
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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM

Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, left, exchanges blows with Kate Jackson.

JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Ilima-Lei Macfarlane won for the second straight December in her home state.
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
                                Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, left, exchanges blows with Kate Jackson.

Hawaii’s Ilima-Lei Macfarlane defended her world flyweight title via unanimous decision over Britain’s Kate Jackson tonight at Bellator 236 at the Blaisdell Arena.

Macfarlane (11-0) won for the second straight December in her home state. Her entrance was once again memorable, as this time she performed a dance with several others while imagery of the Mauna Kea protest movement played on a big screen.

The fight went the distance as the stubborn Jackson (11-4-1) came close to being finished in four of the five rounds, only to survive to the bell.

“She’s super hard to finish and had never been finished before,” Macfarlane said to the crowd from the ring. “Props to Kate Jackson. That was so much fun. Thank you Kate.”

>> PHOTO GALLERY: Macfarlane wins at Bellator 236

In an all-Hawaii matchup on the main card, Maui’s Zach Zane defeated Makaha’s Nainoa Dung by unanimous decision, taking the fight to the ground against the skilled kickboxer.

>> PHOTO GALLERY: Zach Zane defeats Nainoa Dung

Main card

Zach Zane (14-9) def. Nainoa Dung (3-1) by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Raufeon Stots (13-1) def. Cheyden Leialoha (7-2) by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)

Juliana Velasquez (10-0) def. Bruna Ellen (5-3) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

Jason Jackson (11-4) def. Kiichi Kunimoto (20-9-2) by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

AJ McKee (16-0) def. Derek Campos (20-10) by submission (arm-bar) at 1:08 of R3

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (11-0) def. Kate Jackson by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-44, 50-44)

Preliminary card

Keoni Diggs (8-0) def. Scotty Hao (4-3) by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:23 of R2

Kai Kamaka III (6-2) def. Spencer Higa (7-11), by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Dustin Barca (4-0) def. Brandon Pieper (11-14), by submission (rear-naked choke) at 0:58 of R1

Ben Wilhelm (4-0) def. Keali‘i Kanekoa (2-3), by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:24 of R1

Swayne Makana Lunasco (1-0) def. Kaylan Gorospe (0-1), by TKO (strikes) at 3:29 of R3

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