Tag: A.J. McKee

Scott Coker: Jiu-jitsu community called A.J. McKee’s armbar one of the ‘sickest submissions’ ever

Renzo and Royce Gracie were among those impressed by A.J. McKee’s slick submission.

HONOLULU – [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag]’s submission win at Bellator 236 has made all kinds of headlines.

The undefeated McKee (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) submitted Derek Campos in the third round Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center, as he grabbed a slick armbar from the bottom to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix.

After the event, Bellator president Scott Coker told reporters, including MMA Junkie, that the jiu-jitsu community had raved to him about McKee’s finish.

“I was talking to Renzo Gracie and Royce and all the jiu-jitsu community, and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, that was one of the sickest submissions I’ve ever seen,'” he said.

McKee came out strong early, as he threw a flying knee and used his grappling to try to secure a submission opportunity. The two engaged in numerous scrambles in a back-and-forth fight. In the second round, McKee dropped Campos and got clipped during a wild striking exchange, but it was largely another impressive showing from the undefeated featherweight.

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Coker had nothing but praise for his rising, undefeated prospect after a fight that he thinks tested McKee.

“I think A.J. was in a little scrap, and I think he learned a lot tonight,” Coker said. “I think he probably had to dig a little deeper than maybe he thought he was going to have to. He’s scrappy, the opponent is scrappy, and he is just rough and tough, and he got caught, I think, once or twice in there. I think A.J. learned a lot, but I will say this: That submission at the end was unbelievable.

“When a fighter finds a way to win, that really tells a lot about their character because he said, ‘I’m not going to lose this fight, I’m going to go out and submit this guy.’ Or in his mind, ‘I’m going to knock him out, I’m going to submit him.’ He found a way to win, and sometimes that’s what it takes. It’s just that will to win, and he caught him.”

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A.J. McKee wants to fight for Bellator lightweight title after featherweight grand prix

A.J. McKee has his sights set on the Bellator featherweight championship, but that’s not all.

HONOLULU – [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] has his sights set on the Bellator featherweight championship, but that’s not all.

On Saturday night, the undefeated 24-year-old McKee (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) advanced to the Bellator 145-pound grand prix semifinals with a third-round submission win over Derek Campos.

Although McKee’s next opponent will be the winner of the Bellator 238 co-main event between Darrion Caldwell and Adam Borics, McKee is thinking ahead.

McKee believes he’ll be the last one standing when the dust settles and a tournament champion is crowned. A similar status at lightweight will be obtained afterwards, according to McKee.

“Where’s my belt?” McKee asked, a question directed at Bellator double champ Patricio Freire. “After this 145-pound tournament, I want the 155-pound (belt) right after.

“That’s why I didn’t mind if we could have ran it before. So he could get prepared for that ass-whooping to come. Show him a little taste of it. I hope you like sweets, because it’s going to be sweet.”

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Freire is expected to take on SBG’s Pedro Carvalho in March at an event to be named. The fight is a quarterfinal fight in the Bellator featherweight grand prix, so it’s possible McKee and Freire will square off before the tournament is over.

With his most recent victory, McKee’s unbeaten streak as a professional has been extended to 16. All of McKee’s pro fights have been under the Bellator banner.

Bellator 236 took place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out McKee’s full post-fight interview in the video above.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3012: Reaction to Bellator Hawaii doubleheader, UFC on ESPN+ 23

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” unpack a trifecta of major MMA events and react to the latest news and notes.

Monday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode No. 3,012 of the podcast, the guys unpack a trifecta of major events from the weekend, with Bellator 235 and 236 in Honolulu, as well as UFC on ESPN+ 23 in Busan, South Korea. The guys also react to the latest news and notes.

THE RUNDOWN:

  • The weekend got off to a bad start for Bellator, with former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Josh Barnett[/autotag] forced to withdraw hours before the Bellator 235 headliner because of illness. When and where should Barnett vs. Ronny Markes take place now?
  • At UFC on ESPN+ 23, [autotag]Chan Sung Jung[/autotag] took care of business in a big way with a first-round TKO finish of ex-lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. Did “The Korean Zombie” do enough to shake up plans of title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway? Are you warm to the idea of a No. 1 contender fight against [autotag]Zabit Magomedsharipov[/autotag]?
  • At Bellator 236, [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] retained her flyweight title with a dominant performance against Kate Jackson, and [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] advanced to the semifinals of the featherweight grand prix with a submission of Derek Campos. The guys weigh in on both outcomes and more from the card.
  • [autotag]Kevin Lee[/autotag] gave an endorsement speech of Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders at a rally in Las Vegas. Pretty cool?
  • [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag], the Glory Kickboxing middleweight champion better known as the guy who knocked out Israel Adesanya, wants to fight MMA. Are you into it?
  • [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] has his next fight lined up for Jan. 25 at Bellator 238. Is this guy a star for the promotion?
  • It sure does seem like [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] would rather fight [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] instead of receive a welterweight title shot vs. Kamaru Usman. Does this make sense?
  • Former Bellator champion [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] left the promotion to sign with PFL. Good or bad move for him?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

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Bellator 236 post-event facts: A.J. McKee’s record-book takeover nearly complete

Check out all the facts and figures from Bellator 236, which took place Saturday in Honolulu.

The second half of Bellator’s Hawaii doubleheader took place Saturday with Bellator 236, which went down at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, with a main card that streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Hometown hero and women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) had another magical moment in her career when, for the second consecutive year, she defended her title on her own soil with a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag] (11-4-1 MMA, 3-2 BMMA), who became the first in six fights to push “The Ilimanator” to the scorecards.

For more on numbers to come out of main event, as well as the rest of the main card, check below for 30 post-event facts from Bellator 236.

* * * *

General

Betting favorites went 5-0 on the main card. One fight did not have odds available.

Betting favorites improved to 13-8 (with two no contests and one draw) in Bellator main events this year.

Total fight time for the six-bout main card was 1:36:08.

Main card

Macfarlane’s four consecutive Bellator title defenses are tied for most among current champions.

Macfarlane’s five victories in Bellator title fights are tied for third most in company history behind Patricio Freire (eight) and Michael Chandler (six).

Macfarlane’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak is the second longest active streak in the company behind A.J. McKee (16).

Macfarlane’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak is tied with Michael Page for the second longest streak in company history behind McKee (16).

Macfarlane’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak in flyweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

Macfarlane’s 10-fight Bellator winning streak in the longest among female fighters in the organization.

Macfarlane’s 10 Bellator victories are most among female fighters in the organization.

Macfarlane’s 10 victories in Bellator flyweight competition are most in divisional history.

Jackson has suffered both of her Bellator losses by decision.

[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag]’s (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) 16-fight Bellator winning streak is the longest active streak in the company.

McKee’s 16-fight Bellator winning streak is the longest streak in company history.

McKee’s 16-fight Bellator winning streak in featherweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.

McKee’s 16 victories in Bellator competition are tied with Chandler for second most in company history behind Freire (18).

McKee’s 16 victories in Bellator featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Freire (17).

McKee’s 11 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are tied with Freire and Chandler for most in company history.

McKee’s 11 stoppage victories in Bellator featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

McKee’s five submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

[autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) fell to 1-4 in his past five fights dating back to February 2018.

Campos fell to 1-2 since he dropped to the featherweight division in December 2018.

Campos has suffered seven of his eight Bellator losses by stoppage.

[autotag]Kiichi Kunimoto[/autotag] (20-9-2 MMA, 0-2 BMMA) fell to 2-2 since his final UFC appearance in June 2017.

[autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag]’s five-fight Bellator winning streak in flyweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Macfarlane (10).

Velasquez’s five victories in Bellator flyweight competition are second most in divisor history behind Macfarlane (10).

[autotag]Bruna Ellen[/autotag] (5-3 MMA, 3-3 BMMA) has suffered all three of her career losses by decision.

[autotag]Cheyden Leialoha[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) has suffered both of his career losses by decision.

[autotag]Zach Zane[/autotag] (14-9 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) earned the first decision victory of his career.

[autotag]Nainoa Dung[/autotag] (3-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) has suffered consecutive losses after starting his career 3-0.

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A.J. McKee overcame pre-fight illness to advance in grand prix at Bellator 236

Bellator 236 fight week wasn’t smooth for A.J. McKee. He battled illness, but managed to overcome it and get a crucial career win,

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HONOLULU – Fight week wasn’t particularly smooth for [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] ahead of Bellator 236. He battled illness, but managed to overcome it and get a crucial victory,

Just days prior to his scheduled fight against Derek Campos on Saturday, McKee (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) was fighting a bug that was causing him to get sick. He pushed through it, though, and still successfully made weight before showing up on fight night and pulling off a slick third-round submission.

Although McKee doesn’t think pulling out of any fight is acceptable, this one in particular was never an option. With a spot in the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix on the line, McKee knew following through was his only option.

“Before the opening morning workout I actually ran six miles to the mountain and back,” McKee told reporters, including MMA Junkie, post-fight at Bellator 236. “I threw up four times on the run, I think I had slight food poisoning. I don’t know. I knew I just needed to get it out of my system whatever it was. It was nothing really. It’s a mindset. I’m going to fight regardless. I’m a warrior, I’m always going to fight.”

The pre-fight illness didn’t seem to hinder McKee’s performance against Campos (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) in the co-main event matchup at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Hawaii. He was in control for the majority of the fight, and in the third round locked in a tight armbar in the midst of a scramble.

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McKee appeared to be quite proud of his effort when reflecting after the fight. He came in hoping to show some new tools in his arsenal, and feels he achieved that goal.

“I’m playing and it’s fun,” McKee said. “I never come out and do the same thing. That’s where I just continue to evolve. Nobody knows what to expect or train for with me. One second I’ll take you down, then I’m trying to throw elbows, then I’m trying to throw spinning stuff. I’m just always trying to be different, stand out.”

McKee certainly does stand out. His 16th consecutive victory extended the longest winning streak in Bellator history, and his finish of Campos put him into a tie for the most finishes in company history.

Additionally, McKee became the first man to advance to the semifinals of Bellator’s 145-pound grand prix. He will fight the winner of Darrion Caldwell vs. Adam Borics, who will meet in a quarterfinal bout at Bellator 238 on Jan. 25 in Inglewood, Calif.

McKee said he’s indifferent about who comes out of that matchup, and he feels he hold the advantage over both men.

“I could give a (expletive) less, honestly,” McKee said. “I pay attention to my side. The belt’s irrelevant at that point because I’ve still got to fight until I get it. My next concern, if I had a concern about anything, is on Caldwell and Borics. I’m comfortable off my back, so Caldwell, go ahead, you can take me down. Striking-wise, I’m probably one of the most elite strikers in the game – not just Bellator.”

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Twitter reacts to A.J. McKee’s slick submission of Derek Campos at Bellator 236

See the top Twitter reactions to A.J. McKee’s win over over Derek Campos in their grand prix matchup at Bellator 236.

[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] became the first to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix on Saturday when he defeated [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] at Bellator 236.

McKee (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) added another impressive win to his unbeaten record when he submitted Campos (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) in the third round of the grand prix quarterfinal contest, which took place at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to McKee’s victory over Campos at Bellator 236.

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Bellator 236 results: A.J. McKee taps Derek Campos with wild submission, advances to semifinals

A.J. McKee became the first to advance to the semifinals of the featherweight grand prix when he submitted Derek Campos.

[autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] showed off his trademark toughness, but it wasn’t enough to stop [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] from picking up another impressive win on Saturday at Bellator 236.

McKee (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) became the first to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix when he pulled off a slick armbar that forced Campos (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) to tap out at 1:08 of the third round.

The bout was the Bellator 236 co-main event at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

McKee followed through with what he told MMA Junkie prior to fight week, opening with a Jorge Masvidal-style flying knee. He missed, then attacked with a wild spinning kick attempt. That was seemingly Campos’ moment to capitalize as he jumped into top position, but McKee quickly got up and took control, putting Campos on his back and threatening with submission attempts and ground-and-pound for the rest of the round.

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In the early seconds of Round 2, McKee clipped Campos with a heavy right hand that resulted in a knockdown. McKee dove into the guard trying to finish the fight, but Campos survived the assault and got back to his feet. Campos tagged McKee during a wild exchange then pressed forward and got into top position. Campos got his first advantageous position of the fight, controlling McKee from on top for several minutes. His top work wasn’t particularly effective, though, because McKee was able to lock him down and avoid taking damage for the duration of the round.

McKee came out aggressive in the third round, attacking with heavy kicks and body punches before changing levels into a takedown. He controlled from top before a scramble that appeared to lead to Campos on top, but McKee transitioned into a super sneaky armbar that elicited the tap from Campos.

“He’s a tough opponent,” McKee said in his post-fight interview with John McCarthy. “This is just the beginning. Welcome to A.J. jiu-jitsu 101. It’s just the beginning of what’s to come. Took a little damage and still here ready to go and ready for the next round and ready for my belt.”

With the win, McKee picked up his 16th consecutive Bellator win, extending his record for longest winning streak in company history.

Up-to-the-minute Bellator 236 results include:

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4 burning questions heading into Bellator 236

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head takes a look at the key narratives ahead of Bellator 236 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The second half of Bellator’s Hawaii doubleheader sees Bellator 236 take place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu as Hawaii’s own [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] bids to complete her fourth successful defense of the Bellator women’s flyweight title.

The card also features the first quarterfinal bout in the Bellator featherweight grand prix, as [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] takes on [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag], while a host of rising prospects look to make their mark with performances to match their spectacular setting.

Here are our four burning questions ahead of Saturday night’s fights.

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Will Ilima-Lei Macfarlane keep her gold?

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane has been the poster girl for Bellator ever since she captured the women’s flyweight title at Bellator 186 back in November 2017, and since then she has cemented her status as the organization’s top 125-pounder with a hat-trick of third-round finishes.

Now she takes on seasoned veteran and British female MMA pioneer [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag], who is bidding to make history in her homeland by becoming the first British female to capture a major MMA title.

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Jackson booked her place in Saturday’s main event with a first-round finish of Lena Ovchynnikova, and will look to spring a shock against Macfarlane, who has finished every challenger to cross her path as Bellator champion.

Will Jackson be the first challenger to push Macfarlane to the limit, or will the defending champion produce another impressive display and claim a fourth straight finish to send her fellow Hawaiians home happy?

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A.J. McKee dishes on why he doesn’t like current landscape of MMA management

MMA is a business, and managers don’t fit in A.J. McKee’s business plans.

HONOLULU – [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] recognizes MMA is a business. And in the eyes of the 24-year-old fighter, managers don’t fit his business model.

At Bellator 236 on Saturday, McKee (15-0 MMA, 15-0 BMMA) takes on Derek Campos (20-9 MMA, 9-7 BMMA) in the card’s co-main event. The fight is one of four quarterfinal matchups of Bellator’s $1 million featherweight grand prix.

Ahead of the fight, McKee spoke with MMA Junkie and explained why he doesn’t like the current landscape in MMA management.

“I kind of reach out and do things on my own,” McKee said. “With mixed martial arts being such a new sport and managers not really being real managers as if it was the NFL or football, it’s just such an early on sport that it hasn’t really been established for real, real managers. Yeah, there’s a few companies out there that have reached out. (We’ve) talked.”

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McKee noted one issue in particular: the idea of managers taking a percentage of a fighter’s fight purse. Sponsors are one thing, but the fights themselves? No way, said McKee.

“One thing I’ve always been against is giving up a percentage of my fight purse. Why? Because that’s my hard-earned work money,” McKee said. “At the end of the day, there’s no retirement plans, no pensions.”

Bellator 236 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out MMA Junkie’s full pre-fight interview with A.J. McKee in the video above.

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Bellator 236 predictions: Will anyone pick against Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in Hawaii?

Check out our staff members’ picks for the Bellator 236 main card in Honolulu.

Macfarlane
vs.
Jackson		 Campos
vs.
McKee		 Jackson
vs.
Kunimoto		 Ellen
vs.
Velasquez		 Leailoha
vs.
Stots		 Dung
vs.
Zane
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks
2019: 210-125 (63%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane
(xx%)		 mckee2019
McKee
(xx%)		 kunimoto2019
Kunimoto
(xx%)		 velasquez2019
Velasquez
(xx%)		 stots2019
Stots
(xx%)		 dung2019
Dung
(xx%)
Simon Head
@simonhead
2019: 127-66 (66%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Nolan King
@mma_kings
2019: 121-67 (64%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Dan Tom
@DanTomMMA
2019: 215-120 (64%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Ken Hathaway
@kenshathaway
2019: 214-121 (64%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Brian Garcia
@thegoze
2019: 214-121 (64%)
trophy copy 2017 Champion		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
John Morgan
@MMAjunkieJohn
2019: 212-123 (63%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Simon Samano
@SJSamano
2019: 210-125 (63%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 kunimoto2019
Kunimoto		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Mike Bohn
@MikeBohnMMA
2019: 207-128 (62%)
trophy copy 2014 Champion		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
George Garcia
@MMAjunkieGeorge
2019: 206-129 (61%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Farah Hannoun
@Farah_Hannoun
2019: 110-72 (60%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Abbey Subhan
@kammakaze
2019: 201-134 (60%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 kunimoto2019
Kunimoto		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Dave Doyle
@davedoylemma
2019: 137-106 (56%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 kunimoto2019
Kunimoto		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung
Matt Erickson
@MMAjunkieMatt
2019: 175-160 (52%)		 macfarlane2019
Macfarlane		 mckee2019
McKee		 jackson2019
Jackson		 velasquez2019
Velasquez		 stots2019
Stots		 dung2019
Dung

Bellator is back in Hawaii for a doubleheader weekend for the second straight December.

Bellator 236 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie. Friday, the same venue hosts Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”), an event exclusively for military members stationed in Honolulu.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

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In the main event, women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA), a native of Hawaii who grew up in Honolulu, puts her title on the line against British challenger [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA). Macfarlane is a heavy favorite at the sports books with odds for her as high as 7-1. Not surprisingly, our 13 MMA Junkie editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers are taking the champ unanimously.

The co-main event is another unanimous pick from our staff members – one of five 13-0 blowouts on the main card. [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 15-0 BMMA) is as much as an 8-1 favorite in his fight against [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] (20-9 MMA, 9-7 BMMA), which is a quarterfinal matchup in Bellator’s ongoing featherweight tournament.

[autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag] (9-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) will try to stay unbeaten when she takes on [autotag]Bruna Ellen[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) in a women’s flyweight bout. Velasquez is more than a 4-1 favorite and one of our five unanimous picks.

[autotag]Raufeon Stots[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) recently got a long-awaited call from a big-time promotion when Bellator brought him on board. Stots, who trains at Roufusport in Milwaukee, is a 7-1 favorite against local fighter [autotag]Cheyden Leialoha[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), and he’s a 13-0 pick from our staff members.

The other unanimous pick goes to [autotag]Nainoa Dung[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who opens the main card against [autotag]Zach Zane[/autotag] (13-9 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) in a lightweight fight. Dung, from Hawaii, made his Bellator debut a year ago in Honolulu and will try to repeat his success Saturday.

Our only contentious fight on the main card is between [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] (10-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) and [autotag]Kiichi Kunimoto[/autotag] (20-8-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA). Jackson stepped up on short notice when Neiman Gracie fell off the card earlier this week with an injury. He’s more than a 2-1 favorite, and even though it’s not unanimous, Jackson still has a massive 11-2 lead in the picks.

In the MMA Junkie reader consensus picks, Macfarlane (95%), McKee (88 percent), Jackson (60 percent), Velasquez (81 percent), Stots (70 percent) and Dung (57 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

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