Bellator MMA to crown first ever female flyweight champ

(Bellator MMA’s Ilima Macfarlane will step up for the inaugural title. Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)

The first ever Bellator MMA female flyweight champion will be crowned at the Bryce Jordan Center on the Penn State University campus. The championship main event is part of Bellator 186 on Nov 3.

The promotion made the announcement Tuesday.

Opening favorite Ilima Macfarlane will face Emily Ducote for the 125-pound belt. Macfarlane (6-0) made her Bellator debut two years ago and has remained undefeated in her professional and amateur career. Ducote (6-2) made her promotional debut last year. She is now 4-1 in the Bellator cage.

This is a rematch for title challengers. The two first met at Bellator 167 in December where Macfarlane defeated Ducote via unanimous decision.

“We have a very strong commitment to building a respectable female division,” said Bellator president Scott Coker told ESPN.com. “We think Ilima has turned into a pretty big star for us and she had a really good fight with Emily back at Bellator 167. This is the right time and the right fight to crown a champion.”

As one of the world’s leading mixed martial arts promotions, Bellator has been on a steady rise in 2017. The female flyweight division has grown this year including the signing of Brooklyn’s undefeated women’s boxing champion, Heather ‘The Heat’ Hardy. Hardy is set for her second appearance in the cage at Bellator 185 in October.

Stay tuned to Double G Sports for the latest in Bellator MMA news.