5 Questions that could be answered at Bellator 279

#4) Could former Bellator women’s flyweight Ilima-Lei Macfarlane get back into title contention?

It’ll be a homecoming for Ilima-Lei Macfarlane when she steps into the cage at Bellator 279. The former Women’s Flyweight Champion will be competing for the first time since losing her title to Juliana Velasquez in 2020.

‘The Ilimanator’ will have an opportunity to get right back into title contention if she’s impressive against Justine Kish. Fans will be intrigued to see how Macfarlane performs, especially considering that she hasn’t fought in over a year. Kish will also be looking to earn her first win in the promotion and snap her three-fight losing skid.

Prior to her title loss, Macfarlane was unbeaten in her professional career. Timing is also in her favor as the championship bout between Juliana Velasquez and Liz Carmouche takes place the night before. If Macfarlane has an impressive performance, it could be hard to deny her a title shot against the winner.

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#3) Will former Bellator bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi bounce back from his knockout loss?

It will be interesting to see how former Bellator bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi fares on his return to the cage. It will be his first fight since his knockout loss to current bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis last December.

'The Typhoon' officially kicks off the Grand Prix when he fights former title challenger Patchy Mix. He is still viewed by many as the favorite, especially considering that he’s still the reigning RIZIN Bantamweight Champion. It will be a tough matchup as Mix has excellent grappling, which was on display when he submitted James Gallagher last November.

There is plenty to gain for Horiguchi as he has an opportunity to become a two-promotion champion for the second time. And like past Grand Prix tournaments, he will also have an opportunity to win the $1 million in prize.