Gallery Photos: Best of Ilima-Lei Macfarlane view 17 images

Bellator women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane will seek the third successful defense of her title when she meets Veta Arteaga.

MMAjunkie tonight learned from two people with knowledge of the booking that the title fight will serve as the co-main event of Bellator’s April 27 event at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The promotion later announced the matchup during the Bellator 214 broadcast.

Macfarlane (9-0 MMA, 8-0 BMMA) is currently ranked No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA women’s flyweight rankings. The 28-year-old Hawaiian is undefeated in her professional career and is the only women’s flyweight champion in Bellator history. “The Iliminator” captured the belt with a submission win over Emily Ducote in November 2017 and has since defended it twice, with submission wins over Alejandra Lara and Valerie Letourneau.

Meanwhile, Arteaga (5-2 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) notched a pair of wins under the Bellator banner in 2018, picking up a decision over Ducote in July and then competing in her native Idaho in September and submitting Bellator Kickboxing women’s flyweight champion Denise Kielholtz. Now Arteaga will look to knock off the promotion’s MMA title holder, as well.

With the addition to the card, Bellator’s April event in San Jose now includes:

Rory Macdonald vs. Jon Fitch – welterweight grand prix quarterfinal

Champ Ilima-Lei Macfarlane vs. Veta Artega – for women’s flyweight title

For more on Bellator in San Jose, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.