It was a sweet homecoming for Ilima-Lei Macfarlane as she defended her Women's Flyweight Title in Hawaii at Bellator 213, tapping out Valerie Letourneau in the third round.
The Hawaiian born Macfarlane received a hero's welcome during her entrance and fed off the energy of the crowd once the cage door closed.
Macfarlane stood with Letourneau in the first two rounds as both competitors tried to find the range on the feet. In the third round, Macfarlane dragged Letourneau to the ground and it was all she wrote for the challenger. The champion almost immediately took the back and began working for a rear naked choke. Letourneau was able to defend, but Macfarlane showed off her grappling expertise, setting up a triangle choke from the back by sliding her leg over the arm of Letourneau. Once Letourneau turned into Macfarlane, it was a wrap as Macfarlane locked up the triangle choke and battered Letourneau with elbows to force the tap out at 3:19.
With the win, Macfarlane remains unbeaten in her MMA career with a professional record of 9-0. This loss marks the first time Letourneau has been submitted in her 17 professional fights.
If you missed any of the action from Bellator 213, check out Fightful's full report.