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?
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane is taking Kate Jackson’s ground game seriously ahead of their title fight at Bellator 236.
HONOLULU – Bellator flyweight champion [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] doesn’t plan heavily for the specifics.
Usually more focused on self-improvement than targeted game-planning for a specific opponent, Macfarlane (10-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) recognizes the ground abilities of [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag]. The English flyweight has five finish victories to her name and loves dragging the fight to the ground.
“(My coaches) are confident wherever I want to take the fight,” Macfarlane said. “When it comes to grappling with Kate Jackson, I am super excited. I will say that she has the best ground game next to mine in the division, even though our styles are a little bit different.
“I’m a little bit more submission-based and she’s a little bit more traditional Brazilian jiu-jitsu, positional stuff – but yeah, I think it’ll be exciting. It’s two technical fighters, who are good everywhere.”
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Macfarlane and Jackson (11-3-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) will square off Saturday night in the main event of Bellator 236. The fight will mark the fourth time Macfarlane has put the title on the line since winning it in November 2017.
The event takes place 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 Bellator women’s flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane in the video above.
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.
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 the key facts and figures about Bellator 236, which takes place Saturday with a Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Kate Jackson main event.
The second half of Bellator’s Hawaii doubleheader takes place Saturday with Bellator 236, which goes down at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
A flyweight championship fight headlines the card. Hawaii’s own [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) looks to defend her belt on home soil for the second consecutive year when she meets top contender [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag] (11-3-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA).
For more on the main card, which also features the first bout in the second round of the organization’s featherweight grand prix, check below for 30 pre-event facts about Bellator 236.
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Main event
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane
Macfarlane became the inaugural Bellator flyweight champion when she defeated Emily Ducote at Bellator 186 in November 2017.
Macfarlane’s three consecutive Bellator title defenses are tied with Patricio Freire (featherweight) and Julia Budd (women’s featherweight) for most among current champions.
Macfarlane competes in her 10th Bellator flyweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.
Macfarlane’s nine Bellator victories are most among female fighters in the organization.
Macfarlane’s nine-fight Bellator winning streak is the second longest active streak in the organization behind A.J. McKee (15).
Macfarlane’s nine-fight Bellator winning streak in the longest among female fighters in the organization.
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Macfarlane’s seven stoppage victories in Bellator competition are most among female fighters in the organization.
Macfarlane’s seven stoppage victories in Bellator flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Macfarlane’s five-fight stoppage streak in Bellator competition is the longest among active fighters in the company.
Macfarlane’s six submission victories in Bellator flyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Jackson’s two-fight Bellator winning streak in flyweight competition is tied for the third longest active streak in the division behind Macfarlane (nine) and Juliana Velasquez (four).
Co-main event
A.J. McKee
[autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 15-0 BMMA) competes in his 16th Bellator featherweight bout, tied for the second most appearances in divisional history behind Patricio Freire (20).
McKee’s 15-fight Bellator winning streak is the longest active streak in the company.
McKee’s 15-fight Bellator winning streak is the longest streak in company history.
McKee’s 15-fight Bellator winning streak in featherweight competition is the longest active streak in the division.
McKee’s 15 victories in Bellator competition are tied for third most in company history behind Freire (18) and Michael Chandler (16).
McKee’s 15 victories in Bellator featherweight competition are second most in divisional history behind Freire (17).
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McKee’s 10 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are third most in company history behind Freire (11) and Chandler (11).
McKee’s 10 stoppage victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied with Freire for most in divisional history.
McKee’s six knockout victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied with Freire for most in divisional history.
McKee’s eight-second knockout victory at Bellator 228 is the fourth fastest in Bellator history. Three fighters are tied with a seven-second win.
McKee’s four submission victories in Bellator featherweight competition are tied with Freire for most in divisional history.
[autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] (20-9 MMA, 9-7 BMMA) is 1-1 since he dropped to the featherweight division in December 2018.
Campos has earned six of his nine Bellator victories by decision.
Remaining main card
Kiichi Kunimoto
[autotag]Kiichi Kunimoto[/autotag] (20-8-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), 38, is the oldest of the 12 scheduled main card fighters.
Kunimoto is 2-1 since his final UFC appearance in June 2017.
[autotag]Juliana Velasquez[/autotag]’s (9-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) four-fight Bellator winning streak in flyweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind champion Macfarlane (nine).
Velasquez’s four victories in Bellator flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (nine).
Velasquez’s three stoppage victories in Bellator flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Macfarlane (seven).
Velasquez’s two knockout victories in Bellator flyweight competition are tied with Jackson for most in divisional history.
[autotag]Bruna Ellen[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) has earned four of her five career victories by decision. That includes all three of her Bellator wins.
[autotag]Nainoa Dung[/autotag] (3-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), 20, is the youngest of the 12 scheduled main card fighters.
Kate Jackson explains why she was caught off guard by her title shot offer against Ilima-lei Macfarlane at Bellator 236.
HONOLULU — [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag] didn’t expect to be fighting for Bellator gold.
The British fighter challenges women’s flyweight champion Ilima-lei MacFarlane on Saturday in the Bellator 236 main event in Honolulu. But despite being on a two-fight winning streak and 4-1 in her past five bouts, Jackson (11-3-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) didn’t think she’d be the one fighting the champ next at 125-pounds.
“I knew if I was offered that fight (with Macfarlane) it would be here because they were looking at a December Hawaii show. But actually, initially I was more surprised than excited,” Jackson told MMA Junkie after a Wednesday workout. “I thought maybe I’d have one more fight before this one. But yeah, once it sunk in, I found my manager just after a training session and he said, ‘Are you ready to do five five-minute rounds?’ And I was like, ‘Wow – that means I got the title shot, then.’ And once it sunk in, I was definitely excited. My coach was over the moon instantly, but I needed to let it sink in for a bit.”
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Although Jackson didn’t think a title shot would be coming her way, she does think now is the time for her to be fighting the champ.
“Obviously, there was some talk of my last fight potentially being a No. 1 contender fight, but I knew there were others in the mix,” Jackson said. “So I thought maybe it would go to one of them first and then I’d get the opportunity. So it wasn’t necessarily about whether I was ready. I just wasn’t sure if I was going to get it straight away. As soon as I got my head around it, it’s the right time for me.”
The British fighter, who fought on Season 23 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ knows what she’s in for facing Hawaii’s Macfarlane.
“She’s obviously a really dominant fighter, undefeated – she’s relentless and I really admire that in her,” Jackson said. “She’s got a good wrestling game and good submission grappling. She knows what she wants, and she goes after it.”
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the Bellator 236 headliner between women’s flyweight champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and Kate Jackson.
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MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the Bellator’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for Bellator 236.
Bellator 236 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
+ Karate black belt
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt
+ Judo brown belt
+ Regional MMA title
+ 6 knockout victories
+ 1 submission win
+ 5 first-round finishes
+ Solid striking ability
^ Puts together combinations well
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Trips, takedowns, knees
+ Good transitional grappler
^ From top or bottom
Point of interest: Striking in space
The main event for Bellator 236 features a flyweight title fight between two savvy grapplers who aren’t afraid to strike in space.
The challenger, [autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag], was introduced to the art of karate at a young age, and she seems to be quite comfortable when playing at range.
Whether she is sitting back and looking to counter or coming forward with vigor, Jackson strings her shots together accordingly, often punctuating her presence with kicks off the lead side. The English fighter – despite previously competing at strawweight – seems to carry real power at what is her more natural weight class of 125 pounds.
Regardless of Jackson’s approach here, she can’t afford to get complacent if she means to take rounds from the sitting champion, [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag].
Initially starting off her career a bit raw in the standing department, Macfarlane has made legitimate strides to her game throughout her title reign. The Hawaiian champ still shows patience to play on the outside or the ability to pressure her way forward, but she does so in a much more efficient manner than before.
Utilizing a steady dose of fakes and feints, Macfarlane now throws her punches straighter and with more purpose, smartly variating between simple combinations to maximize her effectiveness. That said, Macfarlane is not beyond mixing things up when feeling in stride, showing the occasional Superman punch or drop-step to keep her opposition honest and on their heels.
The 29-year-old talent has also has displayed upgraded head movement, rolling her head offline when committing to her crosses – something that will come in handy given the power Jackson will likely be throwing her way.
Though gameplans can always vary, I have to imagine that striking exchanges will only last so long before one of these fighters decides to push into grappling space.
We want your predictions for Bellator 236 in Hawaii.
We want your predictions for this week’s Bellator 236 “Salute the Troops 2019” event in Hawaii.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 236 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. Bellator 236 takes place Saturday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Make your picks for all six main card fights inside.
Underestimation is expected, but Kate Jackson doesn’t think that’ll deter her from victory at Bellator 236.
[autotag]Kate Jackson[/autotag] totally gets it: She’s going to be underestimated heading into her first Bellator title challenge.
On Dec. 21, Jackson (11-3 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) takes on women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (10-0 MMA, 9-0 BMMA) at Bellator 236 in Honolulu.
Taking on a dominant champion in her own backyard? Why wouldn’t she be underestimated?
“I don’t go out of my way to read about myself on social media, but probably,” Jackson told MMA Junkie, when asked if she’s being underestimated. “She’s undefeated, and it’s her home fight. There’s obviously always going to be more focus on her.
“That’s not something I have an issue with. I’m never particularly outgoing or anything like that. If the focus is on my opponent, that’s really not a problem for me.”
Underestimated or not, Jackson said it doesn’t change the reality of the situation. The United Kingdom-based fighter Jackson thinks she presents Macfarlane a tough challenge – especially on the ground.
“I think it’s a good matchup, ground-wise,” Jackson said. “I think it was only her last opponent who was a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. That seemed to be the fight that gave her the most problems, obviously up until the point she adjusted and stopped her. I think that definitely bodes well, really.”
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Jackson’s opportunity to compete for gold in a major promotion has been a long time coming. Jackson, 33, has been competing as a professional for more than 10 years. While every fight is important in the grand scheme of things, Jackson doesn’t deny this is the biggest fight of her life..
“To a point, every fight is (your biggest) – this one definitely,” Jackson said. “It’s been a long time coming. I feel that I’ve gotten to a point in my game where I feel like it’s all coming together. We’ve worked on my striking an awful lot this year, as well. Getting my brown belt at the end of last year, the higher level jiu-jitsu competitions I’ve been doing. I think it’s all come at the right time.”
Fight fans are in for a good one, according to Jackson. Unwilling to predict an exact method or final outcome, Jackson thinks the matchup with Macfarlane will be exciting, regardless.
“I’m just really convinced it’s going to be an exciting fight,” Jackson said. “Obviously, so far she always ends up taking the fight to the ground. That seems to be where she wants the fight to go. That’s not something I have an issue with at all. But, obviously it starts out standing.
“So I’m looking forward to exchanging strikes, before we take it to the ground and see how things are.”
Bellator 236 takes place Dec. 21 at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card streams on DAZN after prelims on MMA Junkie.
