Bellator 236 was another triumphant homecoming for Hawaiian flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, who defended her title against Kate Jackson.
For the second year in a row, Bellator MMA made Hawaii one of its December destinations. The penultimate event of the promotion’s calendar year, Bellator 236 was another homecoming for flyweight Queen Ilima-Lei Macfarlane. And once again, she made the most of her time in the spotlight. A dominant showing against Kate Jackson means Macfarlane will move on to face either Juliana Velasquez (who also won on the night), or perhaps take part in a flyweight grand prix, if Bellator CEO Scott Coker’s hints earlier in the week come to pass.
The other key moment on the Bellator 236 card, the continued dominance of A.J. McKee, who submitted Derek Campos to move on in the promotion’s featherweight grand prix. McKee is now a perfect 16-0, and it’s probably time to stop calling him a prospect. He has the longest win streak in Bellator history, the most submission wins in Bellator featherweight history, the most stoppages in the division’s history, and he’s tied with champ Patricio Pitbull for the most knockouts in the division. With wins over ex-champ Pat Curran, former WSOF champ Georgi Karakhanyan, and now Campos, McKee is a problem for anyone in the weight class.
He’s also a heavy favorite to go the distance in the tournament.
Check below for a gallery of highlights from Bellator 236!
