Ilima-Lei
Macfarlane believes she will be facing the most difficult test
of her flyweight reign when she faces Juliana
Velasquez in the
Bellator 254 headliner on Thursday night.
Since becoming the promotion’s inaugural 125-pound queen with a
submission of Emily
Ducote in November 2017, “The Ilimanator” has vanquished
Alejandra
Lara, Valerie
Letourneau, Veta
Arteaga and Kate
Jackson in successive championship defenses.
“Yes, I consider it the biggest challenge so far,” Macfarlane said
of Velasquez during a virtual media day. “I would say that Valerie
Letourneau at that stage of my career was my biggest challenge
because of her pedigree, her experience in the sport, but I would
say that stylistically, Juliana is my biggest challenge to
date.
“Not only is she a southpaw, but she’s bigger. She seems very
physically strong. She goes for the finish. I think her mentality
too — she’s ready to be champion. She works hard and she wants this
a lot.”
Like Macfarlane, Velasquez is undefeated. Her 10-0 career mark
includes five triumphs under the Bellator MMA banner. While the
aforementioned Letourneau had the previous experience of a UFC
title bout on her resume, Velasquez’s attributes will make her a
formidable adversary, according to Macfarlane.
“I think Juliana is a lot more of an intimidating, physical fighter
than any of my former opponents,” Macfarlane says. “She’s bigger
than me. She’s has a longer reach. Really aggressive and physical.
I think that’s one of the main differences between her and my other
opponents.
“I feel like this fight’s going to be really tiring. I’m gonna be
exerting a lot of physical effort trying to take her down, trying
to strike with her. I feel like my other fights were very
strategic, but with her it’s going to be a very physical
fight.”
Macfarlane built her name almost exclusively in the
California-based promotion, as she has earned 10 of her 11 career
victories in Bellator competition. Now one of the organizatinon’s
biggest stars, Macfarlane has come a long way from being the
fighter who initially gained notoriety for a viral knockout of a
soccer mom. She claims that her extended success has served to
relieve much of the pressure that comes with multiple title
defenses and solidifying a legacy.
“Honestly, I feel like I’ve made history quite a bit. Regardless of
the outcome on Thursday, I’ll still be in the history books,” she
said. “So at this point to be totally honest, I’m just having fun
with my fights. I’m finally being able to enjoy [them]. I feel like
a lot of pressure has been lifted off me because I have
accomplished a lot in this division and my career.
“I’m really starting to enjoy the process, enjoy the camps ,enjoy
the evolution of my skills as a mixed martial artist … I don’t have
as much pressure as people think I have being champion. Because I
think I’ve done a good job of being champion and I’ve reached a lot
of heights that one could reach in their career.”