Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Raising Awareness For Missing Natives

Former Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane continues to look to accomplish something bigger than a world championship. Macfarlane will look to move one step closer to potentially getting her flyweight title back at Bellator 284. This is he…

Former Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane continues to look to accomplish something bigger than a world championship. Macfarlane will look to move one step closer to potentially getting her flyweight title back at Bellator 284. This is her second fight back after a two-year hiatus following knee surgery. Macfarlane has enjoyed the relief of not…

Continue Reading Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Raising Awareness For Missing Natives at MMA News.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Moving On After ‘Boring As Sh*t’ Title Loss

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane isn’t interested in running things back with Juliana Velasquez after what she calls a “boring as sh*t” fight. In the main event of Bellator 254, Macfarlane was defending her flyweight title against a fellow undefe…

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane isn’t interested in running things back with Juliana Velasquez after what she calls a “boring as sh*t” fight. In the main event of Bellator 254, Macfarlane was defending her flyweight title against a fellow undefeated fighter in Velasquez. In the lead-up to the fight, many expected it to be a very entertaining back-and-forth […]

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Relieved By Loss: ‘It’s Hard Being A Champion’

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane is relieved she lost for the first time and is no longer the champion. In the main event of Bellator 254 on Thursday, Macfarlane dropped a close decision to Juliana Velasquez. After the fight, the Hawaiian spoke to the media and sa…

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane is relieved she lost for the first time and is no longer the champion. In the main event of Bellator 254 on Thursday, Macfarlane dropped a close decision to Juliana Velasquez. After the fight, the Hawaiian spoke to the media and said she is relieved she doesn’t have the pressure of being the […]

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Ilima-Lei MacFarlane To Defend Flyweight Title On Dec. 10 Against Undefeated Juliana Velasquez

Ilima-Lei MacFarlane will be defending her flyweight title on December 10 against undefeated challenger, Juliana Velasquez. ESPN was first to report the news and Bellator has since confirmed the fight. The bout will also take place at the Mohegan Sun i…

Ilima-Lei MacFarlane will be defending her flyweight title on December 10 against undefeated challenger, Juliana Velasquez. ESPN was first to report the news and Bellator has since confirmed the fight. The bout will also take place at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, where Bellator has been holding all their US-based shows during the pandemic. […]

The post Ilima-Lei MacFarlane To Defend Flyweight Title On Dec. 10 Against Undefeated Juliana Velasquez appeared first on MMA News.

Bellator Champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Sues Former Coach For Sexual Abuse

Ilima-Lei MacfarlaneBellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and two other women are suing a former basketball coach for sexual abuse. Hawaii News Now reported Macfarlane and two other student-athletes filed a lawsuit on Thursday in Honolulu Circuit Court. Punahou School and their former basketball coach Dwayne Yuen are named among the defendants in the case. Macfarlane claims […]

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane

Bellator flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and two other women are suing a former basketball coach for sexual abuse.

Hawaii News Now reported Macfarlane and two other student-athletes filed a lawsuit on Thursday in Honolulu Circuit Court. Punahou School and their former basketball coach Dwayne Yuen are named among the defendants in the case.

Macfarlane claims the sexual abuse began when she was a 12 year old keen to pursue a career in basketball, she said.

“I had an inappropriate relationship with an adult who was in an authoritative position and a position of power, as a 12-year old, and that has 100-percent affected what I think is a healthy relationship.”

According to the report Macfarlane and her sister Mahina Macfarlane Souza were sexually abused by Yuen aged just 12 and 14, it reads.

“The sisters allege that Yuen later forced them to touch his genitals, offered cash for sex acts and sent explicit photos of himself. He is believed to have been involved with the Punahou girls basketball program between 2003 and 2006.

“The third former student, who is not named in the lawsuit, also alleges that after she was sexually abused by the former coach, Yuen sent threatening texts and phone messages to her. Transcripts of some of those messages are attached to the lawsuit.”

Punahou School are also in the firing line as the Macfarlane sisters accuse them of ignoring their reports of abuse 15 years ago. The schools Director of Communications Robert Gelber reacted to the lawsuit, he said.

“The reports allege abuse from 2004-2005 by Dwayne Yuen, a former girls basketball coach at our school. We are currently investigating these reports and are committed to working with the survivors to find resolution and healing.”

Stay tuned to LowKickMMA for all the latest updates on Ilima-Lei Macfarlane and this sexual assault lawsuit as it breaks.

Bellator Champions Douglas Lima, Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Sign New Contracts

Bellator have moved to tie down two of their brightest talents. The American-based fight promotion has penned new contracts with welterweight champion Douglas Lima and flyweight queen Ilima-Lei Macfarlane. On Monday the organisation released the following press release announcing the news and praising the fighters, it read. “Both Douglas Lima and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane continue to […]

Bellator have moved to tie down two of their brightest talents. The American-based fight promotion has penned new contracts with welterweight champion Douglas Lima and flyweight queen Ilima-Lei Macfarlane. On Monday the organisation released the following press release announcing the news and praising the fighters, it read.

“Both Douglas Lima and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane continue to prove they are
two of the most dominant fighters on the Bellator roster,” Bellator president
Scott Coker said in a statement. “They made their Bellator debuts very early on
in their careers, have climbed to the top of their respective divisions and
have come to represent what this promotion is all about. As champions, both
have taken on all challenges and have succeeded in every opportunity. I look
forward to watching them continue their careers with us.”

Douglas Lima enjoyed the best year of his career in 2019. The 32-year-old won the welterweight grand prix and the 170lb title in the process. After beating Andrey Koreshkov by submission in the first round, he spectacularly knocked out Michael Page in the semi-finals. In the tournaments final he avenged his 2018 loss to Rory MacDonald, beating the Canadian over five rounds. Now we await his first title defence, after re-upping with Bellator you can only assume that announcement is not too far away.

The undefeated Hawaiian become the inaugural women’s flyweight champion in 2017. She beat Emily Ducote to capture the title at Bellator 167 and began one of the most dominant reigns in the sport. Last time out Macfarlane beat Kate Jackson over five rounds in December 2019. She’ll now be on the lookout for fresh challengers after basically wiping out an entire division.

Should champions like Douglas Lima and Ilima-Lei Macfarlane look to test themselves in the UFC or remain loyal to organisations such as Bellator?