Flyweight Champion Juliana Velasquez vs Liz Carmouche to Headline Bellator 278

Juliana Velasquez, Bellator 262
Juliana Velasquez, Bellator 262 Credit: Bellator MMA

Bellator flyweight champion Juliana Velasquez will take on top contender Liz Carmouche in the main event of Bellator 278 on April 22.

The first night of Bellator’s Hawaiian double-header officially has a main event as flyweight champion Juliana Velasquez will take on Liz Carmouche at Bellator 278 on April 22.  MMAJunkie was first to report the news on Tuesday morning.

Velasquez enters the bout with an impressive undefeated record of 12-0 that has seen her run roughshod over Bellator’s flyweight division with victories over Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, Denise Kielholtz, Alejandra Lara, Bruna Ellen, and Kristina Williams.  A part of the promotion since 2017, the fight with Carmouche will be the first for Velasquez since defeating Kielholtz last July.

Carmouche (16-7) enters the bout was arguably the biggest threat that Velasquez has faced in her career.  The 38 year-old is 5-1 since 2018 with her lone loss coming to current UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.  “Girlrilla” enters the bout as a seasoned veteran who is a two-time UFC title challenger and has career victories over Katlyn Chookagian, Lauren Murphy, Jessica Andrade, Vanessa Porto, and Kana Watanabe.

A bantamweight bout between Cee Jay Hamilton and Jared Scoggins is the only undercard bout that has been reported at this time, per MMAJunkie.

The event is scheduled to take place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 22.