In a time when trash talk is the norm and not the exception, Bellator women’s flyweight champion Illima-Lei Macfarlane sees the good in her opponents.

The next one, former UFC women’s strawweight title challenger Valerie Letourneau, is “a pioneer for the sport” and “a great example” in Macfarlane’s eyes.

The champ already has invited Letourneau to a family luau celebrating their DAZN-streamed headliner at Bellator 213, which takes place Dec. 15 at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu.

“We’re cool,” Macfarlane told MMAjunkie. “We’re really cool.”

But none of that gets in the way of Macfarlane’s job when they meet in the cage. She is looking to end the fight in dominant fashion and extend her title reign.

“I’ve always looked at this sport like a sport,” Macfarlane said. “It’s not a life-and-death situation for me. I’m not trying to go out there and kill someone, or end their career. It’s a sport, and that’s just my mentality going in. That’s me personally, so I think that’s what helps me not make it personal.

“I’m not a trash talker either, and I’m not going to be somebody I’m not. It doesn’t matter if it sells more or brings in higher ratings. I’d rather be authentic and true to myself rather than selling out.”

Macfarlane’s presence at Bellator 213 is the main reason the event is expected to run out of tickets. Originally from Hawaii, she has a strong network of friends, family and classmates from the Punahou School.

But the 28-year-old fighter is still building toward her goal of becoming an icon in MMA, a tough task in a sport dominated by brash personalities. She’s also setting the stage for her eventual retirement and a family. Her newest goal is to purchase a house in her pricey hometown of San Diego.

Letourneau (10-6 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) is the kind of opponent that gets Macfarlane (8-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA) excited as a competitor, because she knows the fight will be action-packed.

“Me and Valerie, we respect each other 100 percent,” Macfarlane said. “But I know that we are going to throw down. And that, in my opinion, is how we respect someone. Giving anything less than 100 percent is disrespectful. So the way we respect each other is to throw down.”

Macfarlane specifically has prepared for Letourneau’s kicking game. After taking hard leg kicks from Emily Ducote in her title-winning bout, Macfarlane is wary of making her lead leg an easy target.

“It’s no secret that kicks are not my strong suit,” she said. “I did not grow up doing taekwondo or karate. So I don’t kick.”

What the champ does do incredibly well is use her grappling to submit foes. Although Macfarlane has been working to narrow the gap between her striking and submissions, she’s ultimately got a fallback if the momentum starts to shift.

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Macfarlane as a Bellator champion. But she expects that at the end of the day, she’ll be celebrating alongside her opponent, her belt still hanging over her shoulder.

For more on Bellator 213, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.