The second — and significantly larger — card of back-to-back shows in Honolulu, Hawaii, Bellator 279 went down Saturday night with two title fights, the return of Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, and quarterfinal action in the bantamweight grand prix.
Headlined by Cris Cyborg, in a rematch with Australian featherweight Arlene Blencowe, Bellator 279 was a deep offering. Marking the promotion’s return to Hawaii for the first time since 2019, the inclusion of Macfarlane was fitting; she was returning from her own extended layoff of 500 days. The former champ was set to face off with Justine Kish.
Two bantamweight grand prix quarter-final bouts graced the Bellator 279 card, one with gold on the line. That saw ex-champ Juan Archuleta throw down with Raufeon Stots, both to advance in the tournament an claim an interim title. The interim belt had been necessitated by Sergio Pettis dropping out of the tournament due to injury.
The other quarter-final bout featured Patchy Mix taking on another ex-champ, Kyoji Horiguchi.
Bellator 279 goes down live on Saturday, April 23, 2022 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii. The main card airs live on Showtime in the U.S., following online prelims available right here on Cageside Press. Where available, the main card can also be streamed below. The action gets underway at 8:30PM ET (prelims); full results are below.
Bellator 279: Cyborg vs. Blencowe 2 Results
Main Card
Cris Cyborg (c) def. Arlene Blencowe by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45) – for the Bellator MMA women’s featherweight championship
Raufeon Stots def. Juan Archuleta by knockout, Round 3, 0:16 – for the Bellator MMA interim bantamweight championship / bantamweight grand prix quarter-final bout
Justine Kish def. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Patchy Mix def. Kyoji Horiguchi by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) – bantamweight grand prix quarter-final bout
Yancy Medeiros def. Emmanuel Sanchez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Preliminary Card
Goiti Yamauchi def. Levan Chokheli by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 3:49
Bobby King def. Keoni Diggs by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)
Dayana Silva def. Janay Harding by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Justin Gonzales def. Kai Kamaka III by split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)
Lance Gibson Jr. def. Nainoa Dung by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-25)
Post-Liminary Card
Jordan Winski def. Ryan Dela Cruz by unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)
Randi Field def. Maraya Miller by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 0:48
Sumiko Inaba def. Whittany Pyles by KO, Round 1, 1:22
