Alejandra Lara put on a career-best performance at Bellator 235, simply dominating fellow ex-title challenger Veta Arteaga across three rounds.
A pair of former flyweight title challengers collided at Bellator 235 in Honolulu, Hawaii on Friday night. Veta Arteaga, the most recent woman to fight Ilima-Lei Macfarlane for the 125lb title, met Alejandra Lara, another victim of Macfarlane who had bounced back with a win her last time out. Both women were looking to work their way back into the title picture, with a win Friday night crucial to those plans.
Throwing caution to the win both girls came out swinging Friday. Arteaga seemed to have a little more behind her punches, however. Her jab was firing, but Lara managed to tie her up against the fence, using a wide base to hunt for a takedown. Arteaga fought her off, briefly, but Lara went right back at her. She’d stay determined throughout the opening round, with her efforts finally paying off in the form of a takedown with about a minute remaining. Arteaga would pop back up, but eat a high kick that seemed to hurt her. An elbow by Lara landed as well, and a front kick up high nearly did as well.
Lara came out firing a kick early in the second, looking to sustain her momentum. Lara’s left hook was finding its way in on Arteaga, who began trying to pressure the Colombian fighter. Lara, however, was not about to be bullied, leading to some back-and-forth in terms of who initiated the action. Lara went upstairs with a kick again, which was blocked. That wouldn’t be the case with a later kick that knocked Arteaga down. Lara swarmed, unleashing a flurry of strikes, but Arteaga fired a couple back, catching Lara with one. The tables seemingly turned, and Lara was retreating. She survived, and the pair traded a bit more before the end of the frame.
Round three had Lara landing a spinning back fist and follow-up kick in one fluid motion. She then closed the distance and peppered Arteaga with shots. Lara was arguably having one of the best performances of her Bellator career. By the midway point she had her opponent backed up again. Arteaga, who might have had the advantage at close range, was getting worked over in the clinch, and at a distance. A push kick sent her stumbling backward. Lara followed up by moving into the clinch and bashing her bloody with elbows. Lara connected with another kick, and while Arteaga was game to the bitter end, she’d been soundly defeated.
Official Result: Alejandra Lara def. Veta Arteaga by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-26)
