Sumiko Inaba Puts Undefeated Record on the Line at Bellator 279

Sumiko Inaba, Bellator
Sumiko Inaba, Bellator 268 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Alex Behunin/Cageside Press

Hawaii’s own Sumiko Inaba will put her undefeated record on the line at home later this month.

Flyweight Inaba (3-0) is set to face Whittany Pyles (3-4) at Bellator 279 on April 23, 2022. Promotion officials confirmed the bout Wednesday, following an initial report by MMA Junkie.

31-year old Inaba has spent her entire professional career under the Bellator MMA banner, after compiling a 5-1 record as an amateur. All three wins have come inside the distance; most recently, she submitted Randi Field at Bellator 269 last October.

Pyles will be making her promotional debut in the fight, riding a two-fight win streak into the Hawaiian card. In her last outing, she picked up a unanimous decision victory over Lisa Mauldin at LFA 127.

Despite starting her career at 0-3, Pyles has turned things around, going 3-1 in her next four bouts.

Bellator 279 takes place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 23, 2022. The card currently features the following match-ups:

  • Cris Cyborg (c) vs. Arlene Blencowe – for the Bellator MMA women’s featherweight championship
  • Juan Archuleta vs. Raufeon Stots – for the Bellator MMA interim bantamweight championship / bantamweight grand prix quarterfinal
  • Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Justine Kish
  • Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Patchy Mix – bantamweight grand prix quarterfinal
  • Lance Gibson Jr. vs. Nainoa Dung
  • Kai Kamaka III vs. Justin Gonzales
  • Goiti Yamauchi vs. Levan Chokheli
  • Yancy Medeiros vs. Emmanuel Sanchez
  • Keoni Diggs vs. Bobby King
  • Randi Field vs. Maraya Miller
  • Janay Harding vs. Dayana Silva
  • Ryan Dela Cruz vs. Jordan Winski
  • Sumiko Inaba vs. Whittany Pyles