October 6, 2023 5:15 pm ET
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane will no longer be fighting for the Bellator gold after missing weight Friday morning. Her good friend Liz Carmouche, who is also her good friend, didn’t hold it against her.
The two friends were set to compete for the Bellator women’s flyweight title on the main card of Bellator 300, but it has since become a one-way title fight after Macfarlane(13-2 MMA, 12-2 BMMA) weighed in at 126.6 pounds. Carmouche (19-7 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) can retain her title with a win or a draw, but the title will be vacated if Macfarlane emerges victorious in the five-round bout.
Macfarlane, a former champion at flyweight, didn’t hesitate to let her friend know that there would be an issue at the scale. Carmouche did not respond well when her previous opponent DeAnna Bennett missed weight for their Bellator 294 title fight in April. However, in this instance, the bond between two good friends was not going to be broken over numbers on a scale.
“First person I told when I knew I was going to miss weight, and what did she say? She said she loves me, wants me to be healthy, and asked if I wanted to use her sauna,” Macfarlane wrote on Instagram.
Read Macfarlane’s full statement below (via Instagram):
First person I told when I knew I was going to miss weight and what did she say? She said she loves me wants me to be healthy and asked if I wanted to use her sauna 😭. Words can express how much this person means to me or what an absolute gangster she is for still taking this fight despite me fucking it up. We’ve been through hell and back together and can say without a doubt she is my sister wife for life. #boop
After the drama of the official weigh-ins settled, the friendship between Macfarlane and Carmouche was on full display at ceremonial weigh-ins, as the two could hardly hold back smiles and laughter during their final faceoff.
Friends turned foes collide in San Diego. @iamgirlrilla (124.8) looks to make her third successful title defense. Challenger @ilimanator (126.6) misses championship weight meaning that she cannot win the title.
👊 #Bellator300
📺 SATURDAY, 10pm ET/7pm PT on @SHOsports 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/aDQaRU5CDA
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) October 6, 2023
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