Issue 165

March 2018

The Ultimate Fighter 26 saw the introduction of women's flyweights on the big stage, but if you look beyond the UFC, you'll find more champions to be excited about...

lima-Lei Macfarlane is one of the new breed of female fighters, though she might have been born and raised to be a leader. Not in combat sports, but in politics, society, or at the helm of business or academia. A powerful role model on many levels. Perhaps the writing was there on the wall at the Punahou High School, Honolulu, an establishment attended by former US President Barack Obama and golf prodigy Michelle Wie.

Macfarlane hails from a middle-class family with few jagged edges, her father a mathematics and PE teacher, her mother, a former flight attendant who is now a caregiver. Academically blessed, ‘The Ilimanator’ was destined for a life of letters after a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and then a master’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences. Instead, after a battle with her own bulge at the age of 23 (overdoing the excesses of student life), she hit the gym and found she had

fighting genes. And they ambushed her.

Four years on, Macfarlane etched herself into the history books as the first Bellator flyweight title holder against fellow 125lb’er Emily Ducote last November in a thrilling fight in Penn State College. She became the fourth Hawaiian to win a major MMA crown, following BJ Penn and Max Holloway in the UFC, as well as One Championship atomweight Angela Lee.

On the night of her greatest triumph so far, with flower necklaces adorning many friends and family, the new Bellator queen even sang a song for the media –

karaoke style – at the post-fight news conference. She didn’t seem like a typical MMA champion.

Macfarlane – flower behind her ear in island style – admits that this journey is as much a surprise to her as it is to friends and family. There was no ghetto upbringing, no rambling, dysfunctional childhood for this sassy, yet eloquent human being. Instead, she uses the values gained from her environment to inspire.

“My identity is native Hawaiian,” she explains, in a floral dress and flip-flops.

“I feel very connected to my culture, my heritage, and my people. There’s a lot of disenfranchised youth, mainly so in native communities and I want to show them I’m following my dreams and doing well and they can do it, too. I wanted to be a teacher originally. Now I feel I can still work with the youth but don’t have to necessarily be in the classroom with them.

“I went to a private school... We all went to private school. I had an amazing

upbringing. I totally did not watch fighting at all. I didn’t really know about MMA until I was in high school. I’d never been in an altercation. We are not from a family of fighters. I’ve never been in a street fight before in my life. I didn’t even fight with my siblings.”

Her route to the cage was “by chance”. Macfarlane had wrestled a bit, but partied a lot more. Unhappy with getting out of shape during her college years, she hit the gym. “You could call it depression,” she reveals. “I had low self-esteem. I was drinking a lot and eating Mexican food at two in the morning every night.”

It’s worth recalling that moment of clarity, at the age of 23. What happened next is an object lesson for anyone with similar leanings towards self-improvement. Joining the San Diego Combat Academy and 10th Planet San Diego changed everything.

“My background in wrestling made my transition to jiu-jitsu easy, but striking was definitely something that had to be developed,” she says. “Something I did have

was toughness. When I got punched I was like, cool! I get punched every day by Liz (Carmouche, former UFC title challenger). After that, when I realized I could handle it and it wasn’t too bad, I was like, OK, I can do this.”

Her MMA mentors sat up and took notice, and encouraged and cajoled her to up her game. It was a no-brainer, they said.

She started out by becoming the subject of a viral internet storm, created when she knocked out her first opponent in brutal fashion in 10 seconds. That first professional fight was an unsanctioned match, footage of which went viral and caused the California State Athletic Commission to launch an investigation into unsanctioned events.

It became known as the knockout of the ‘soccer mom’, but it’s something she will be eternally grateful for. Internet vitality, that is. “That fight happened in January, but it didn’t go viral until April,” she recalls. “We were actually talking to Bellator after that first fight, before it went viral. With that said, I am grateful it went viral because it put me out there, even though I was kind of with Bellator already. It still put me out there and all eyes were on me. Since then, it still comes up and I don’t care. I proved I can fight. It almost gave me another way to promote myself. I’m sure I wouldn’t have got as much attention from the media if it wasn’t for that fight. So, yes, I’m extremely grateful.”

Five fights later, Macfarlane proved Macfarlane can certainly do it against stiffer competition. And then some. She’s now best known as the first major women’s flyweight champion in the United States, where the sport has a home on all major television networks. She follows in the footsteps of Gina Carano, Holly Holm, Ronda Rousey, Angela Lee, Miesha Tate and the like, who have paved the way for her over the last four years as she honed her fighting craft.

“I think they are all amazing because they are role models for women,” she says. “Then there are women like Heather Hardy, Valérie Létourneau – mothers in the division. I’ve always loved women fighters who don’t need to talk trash or draw unnecessary attention to themselves.

“The women in MMA lead by example. They let their fighting do the talking. I really admire a lot of the women in the divisions for being that positive role model.

“There is so much to fight sports, but another thing I’m really strong about is unity with other women,” she explains. “I’m always very supportive and using the hashtag #girlpower. I love this rise in strong women. We don’t need men. A lot of us are single or single mothers. That’s totally fine if you do have a partner, but

I do like to set the example that you can do it by yourself.”

The Hawaiian, as comfortable talking with the media as she is liberally punching opponents in the face and slamming them to the ground, has joined that group of role models in MMA who have brought about a change in the landscape for all women. And that means beyond fighting, creating a powerful voice at a time of major change for women in society.

The 27-year-old, on winning the title, had said it was for her “gym-mates at the San Diego Combat Academy, 10th Planet freaks”, but also reveals she had been driven to prove ex-boyfriends wrong, using the power of heartbreak to drive herself.

“I was very fortunate to have a huge support group in anything that I wanted to do. Whether it was going out for the wrestling team as a little third grader, going away for college, even choosing a career in fighting after earning a master’s degree, everyone had my back: loving and supportive parents, family, trainers, teammates and friends. I honestly cannot think of a single person in that entire group who told me even once that I couldn’t or shouldn’t do it. Throughout my entire life, I’ve only had people encouraging me and supporting my dreams... until I got a boyfriend.

“Every single one of my ex-boyfriends hurt me very deeply and it affected my life so much that I seriously considered quitting fighting or moving out of the state altogether,” she explains. “As much as people think that I have no feelings when it comes to dudes, I’m still human and I absolutely feel pain and heartbreak.

“I remember my exes saying things like, ‘You think you’re a professional athlete? You’re a joke and I hope you get knocked out.’ Or, ‘The only reason you made it this far is because good things happen to people after I tattoo them.’

“These words didn’t come from keyboard warriors or jealous s**t talkers or even acquaintances. It came from people that at one point I cared very deeply about and loved. I was hurt, bitter, angry, insecure and broken for a long time. I felt like I was a joke. I felt unattractive. I felt like I wasn’t good enough.

“I took those words to heart and spent a lot of my energy feeding my insecurities. It was then I realized that all I needed to do was direct my energy into attaining my goals, to prove these f***ers wrong.

I might not have a perfect body or be an ‘Insta-model’ douche, but looks are impermanent and I know that I have much more to offer someone than just my physical appearance.”

The point of her relating this, says Macfarlane, is that becoming a world champion would not have been possible without these men “ filling her head (and heart) with poison.” She adds: “Heartbreak and haters are the best motivation. Use that s**t to push harder in attaining your goals. And in my honest opinion, this belt is way better than a f**k-a** boyfriend who doesn’t support your dreams.”

Having revealed the power of driving herself, Macfarlane is now on top and a hot property for one of the major promotions in the mixed martial arts industry. But despite her dominant, perfect record, she’s taken her time to hone her skills before the next walk to the cage. MacFarlane reckons she’ll fight again in a couple of months.

“I still feel I’m in the infancy of my career and very new to the game,” she admits. “Like, 6-0 is only six fights. There are veterans out there who are like 20-6. I’m not under any illusions that I’m unbeatable or the best. I’m still very realistic about everything and I’m still learning, I’m still very green in MMA. If anything, it keeps my head in the game.

“I’m in no rush to defend the title, but it is an amazing feeling to be a champion, and to have made history... I’ve said I want to be back around April. That’s when I’ll be ready... But Bellator have to grow the other women in the division first and find a contender.”

Returning to her proclivity for unity among the fraternity of female fighters, Macfarlane is eager to see the talent pool grow so she can face fresh challenges, but her solidarity crosses promotional boundaries, too. There was some criticism

around the latest series of TUF that crowned Nicco Montano as the first women’s UFC flyweight champion in December, but the Hawaiian disagrees.

“I thought that finale was great,” she says. “I was a fan of both girls. I’ve always been a fan of Roxanne Modafferi. She’s a pioneer for women’s MMA and the most amazing, positive, happiest person. But during the season I actually became a really big fan of Montano because she’s also an indigenous. l just really liked her personality. She was solid throughout and the finale was great. I was kind of pulling for Roxanne because she’s been in the game so long and Nicco is so young, but I was very happy for Nicco. I think she’ll be a wonderful champion.”

She was the first with a belt around her waist in the major promotions and everyone is following her lead.

“I feel like a pioneer in Bellator, for female fighters from Hawaii. There are not many of us – probably only five or six are signed to a promotion, and only two are world champions, myself and Angela (Lee). All the UFC girls, the flyweights in the UFC, should be thanking me right now.

“I have this theory: Scott Coker built up this division in Bellator and I came along and I started winning fights and the UFC had no choice but to crown a champion.

“For years, girls have campaigned for the UFC to open the flyweight division and they never did. Without me they wouldn’t have this division and everybody would be cutting to 115 or fighting small at 135.”

It’s all about the power of projection and timing. ‘Iliminator’ has it all – in droves.