UNCASVILLE, Conn. – When the main event’s official decision was read inside the cage at Bellator 262, it wasn’t the first time [autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] was booed in her career.
Unfazed by the opinions of those in the seats, Velasquez (12-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) is confident the judges got it right when she won a split decision over kickboxer-turned-MMA-fighter [autotag]Denise Kielholtz[/autotag].
“In the first round, she was coming strong,” Velasquez told MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference. “She was able to get close and to hit me but I was circling away. Many of those shots were missing. I saw that it was a close round, but as the fight went on, I was able to find my groove a little bit more. I was able to stop her in her tracks.
“I think that I was being much more effective starting from the third round. I was very confident when they were going to announce the decision. I think three rounds of that were mine.”
After the fight, Kielholtz (6-3 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) expressed her disappointment in the decision and called for a rematch. The champion doesn’t see the need for a second meeting, however – or at least not a one against Kielholtz.
“If I was going to rematch someone I think deserved it, it would be Ilima-Lei (Macfarlane),” Velasquez told MMA Junkie. “She had many title defenses. After this fight, I’ll just move forward. … I think that the fight that makes sense the most will be fighting Ilima-Lei again or Liz Carmouche. Those are the fight that I would like to (be next).”
Recovering from knee surgery, Macfarlane (11-1 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) has not competed since she lost the title to Velasquez via unanimous decision in December. As for Carmouche (16-7 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), she is undefeated in the promotion and most recently defeated Kana Watanabe via 35-second TKO.
Bellator 262 took place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. The airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.
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