Ilima-Lei Macfarlane has recently been going through a difficult period of time.
Macfarlane, who has a record of 11-2 in mixed martial arts and 10-2 in boxing and mixed martial arts, weighed in three pounds heavier than the non-title fight limit for her flyweight bout against Bruna Ellen on the main card of Bellator 284, which took place on Friday at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Ellen, who has a record of 6-3 in mixed martial arts and 4-3 in basic mixed martial arts, has agreed to take a cut of Macfarlane's purse, so the bout will go on. Macfarlane, a former flyweight champion for Bellator, commented on Instagram to explain why she missed weight and to thank Ellen for accepting the fight. Macfarlane also expressed her thanks for Ellen accepting the match.
“Super shame. First and last time I’ll ever miss weight. I’m sorry Bruna for not being professional and making our contracted weight. People don’t understand what a difficult situation this puts you in, but you’re a gangster for accepting the fight and I appreciate you for doing so 🙏🏽. My body has been going through a lot of changes in the last two years and this week it told me to fuck right off. I’m learning to listen to it, especially as the end of this chapter draws near. I’m going to take a long break after this fight to allow myself time to heal and reassess things. But like I said, this is the one and only time I will ever miss weight. Mark my words. We got a fight tomorrow night ladies and gentlemen, thanks to Bruna. She’s the real MVP.”The 32-year-old fighter, who was previously undefeated in her previous 11 fights and successfully defended her Bellator flyweight belt four times, has now suffered consecutive defeats. Macfarlane was knocked off her perch as champion of Bellator by Juliana Velasquez at Bellator 254, and then she was defeated by former UFC competitor Justine Kish through unanimous decision at Bellator 279 in April in front of her home fans in Honolulu.
