The flyweight championship headliner between Ilima-Lei
Macfarlane and Juliana
Velasquez is now official, as both fighters made weight ahead
of their
Bellator 254 showdown.
Macfarlane tipped the scales at 124.8 pounds, while Velasquez
checked in at 124.4. Bellator 254 takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena
in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Thursday. The main card airs on CBS
Sports Network and Dazn at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, while the prelims
stream on Bellator’s YouTube channel and Dazn at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30
p.m. PT.
Elsewhere, Goiti
Yamauchi weighed in at 162.8 pounds for proposed lightweight
clash with Nate
Andrews (155.8). Since Yamauchi missed weight by such a
substantial amount, Andrews elected not to accept the fight. As a
result, a heavyweight bout pitting Davion
Franklin (264) agianst Anthony
Garrett (241) has been moved to the main card.
Macfarlane has defended her title four times since becoming the
promotion’s inaugural 125-pound champion with a submission of
Emily
Ducote in November 2017. In her last outing, the Team Hurricane
Awesome product earned a five-round verdict over Kate
Jackson at Bellator 236 to run her professional mark to
11-0.
Velasquez, meanwhile, has been victorious in her first 10
professional appearances — including five under the Bellator
banner. The 34-year-old Team Nogueira product last competed at
Bellator 236, where she took a unanimous decision over Bruna Ellen
at Bellator 236 in December 2019.
Bellator 254 Weigh-in Results:
Ilima-Lei
Macfarlane (124.8) vs. Juliana
Velasquez (124.4)
Magomed
Magomedov (136) vs. Matheus
Mattos (135.2)
Goiti
Yamauchi (162.8)* vs. Nate
Andrews (155.8)
Linton
Vassell (239) vs. Ronny
Markes (252.1)
Davion
Franklin (264) vs. Anthony
Garrett (241)
Billy
Goff (169.8) vs. Robson
Gracie Jr. (170)
Kenny
Champion (144.7) vs. Cody Law
(145)
Romero
Cotton (185.1) vs. Justin
Sumter (184.7)
Kemran
Lachinov (170.9) vs. Shamil
Nikaev (170.3)
Maurice
Jackson (201.3) vs. Grant Neal
(204.9)
Note: Yamauchi missed weight by 6.8 pounds and his fight against
Andrews has been canceled.