All eyes entered the Bellator 293 preliminary card opener on [autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag], but they were on [autotag]Mackenzie Stiller[/autotag] after the dust settled.
On Friday at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif., Stiller (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) made her presence known when she spoiled the promotional pro debut of Henderson (1-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), wife of former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag].
The fight was largely one-way traffic as Stiller utilized her wrestling and jiu-jitsu to control Henderson on the ground. After some heavy punches, Stiller worked for an armbar. Stiller rolled Henderson and eventually got the hyperextension โ and a tap.
๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ธ๐ถ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฅ
An impressive professional MMA debut for @mack_judo, defeating Maria Henderson!#Bellator293 | @MonsterEnergy Prelims fueled by REBEL. pic.twitter.com/EZ0vNOAeg5
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 31, 2023
Stiller, 23, hadn’t competed as a professional before Friday. However, her submission prowess was already established as an amateur fighter. In four amateur appearances, Stiller finished every opponent by first-round submission.
Henderson, 30, competed for Bellator once as an amateur in October 2021. Following a 3-0 amateur career, she turned professional. After a submission win in LFA for her pro debut, Henderson returned to Bellator on a multifight deal, which she signed in January.
The full Bellator 293 results include:
- Mackenzie Stiller def. Maria Henderson via submission (armbar) โ Round 1, 3:17
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 293.