Free agent and former UFC mainstay Liz Carmouche and the Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane fully agree that Carmouche would fit in well with Bellator and that a matchup between the two would make sense.
After being released from the UFC last week, Liz Carmouche naturally began considering what lies in her MMA future. One option that particularly intrigued her was joining Bellator and taking on a fight against training partner and Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.
“That would be a perfect fit, because I already know them and I have a good relationship with them,” Carmouche told ESPN. “On top of that, I have my teammate that’s leading in that division and has the belt. We’ve talked about it for years that a great fight for both of us would be each other because we’re our main training partners. We know our weaknesses and strengths. We know how to put on a good show. And we feel like for both of us that would be a really good fit.”
Speaking to MMA Junkie on Tuesday, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane could not agree more on both counts.
“I want her to come to Bellator,” Macfarlane said. “I want to lose the belt to her. I’m not overlooking (my next fight against) Kate Jackson at all or any of these other girls, but my dream would be to lose the belt to Liz.”
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane would later clarify that she, obviously, would want to defeat Liz Carmouche, but if she were to lose the championship, she would like for it to be against Carmouche, someone Macfarlane admires.
“I’m not planning on fighting forever,” Macfarlane said. “If I’m going to lose the belt I want it to be to somebody who is my mentor and my main training partner and my coach through this entire journey. That’s who I would want to lose to. But don’t get me wrong, we would totally go out there to try to kill each other. It’s not like I’m just going to hand it over. People always ask me my dream fight, I’m like, ‘Liz.’ Hopefully she can come over.”
Who do you favor in a fight between Liz Carmouche and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane?
