Bellator 294

BELLATOR MMA (EHB0421)

Friday, April 21, 2023

Prelims 2:00pm / Main card 4:00pm

THIS EVENT IS FREE FOR ALL MILITARY, VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS

BELLATOR MMA RETURNS TO HAWAII FOR A STACKED DOUBLE-HEADER WITH EVENTS ON FRIDAY, APRIL 21 AND SATURDAY, APRIL 22

FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION AND UNITED STATES MARINE LIZ CARMOUCHE DEFENDS HER TITLE IN REMATCH AGAINST NO. 4 RANKED DEANNA BENNETT AT BELLATOR 294 ON FRIDAY, APRIL 21

BELLATOR 295 ON SATURDAY, APRIL 22 WILL SEE THE CONCLUSION OF THE BELLATOR BANTAMWEIGHT WORLD GRAND PRIX WHEN INTERIM CHAMPION RAUFEON STOTS MEETS NO. 2 RANKED PATCHY MIX AND OAHU’S OWN NO. 3-RANKED ILIMA-LEI MACFARLANE RETURNS HOME TO FACE NO. 2-RANKED KANA WATANABE

TICKETS ON SALE THIS FRIDAY, FEB. 17 – for Bellator 295 only

LOS ANGELES – BELLATOR MMA has announced its annual return to the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena will play home to a pair of events on back-to-back nights Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22. Both cards air LIVE in the United States on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT/4 p.m. local HST.

BELLATOR 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2 on Friday is headlined by a Women’s Flyweight World Championship main event rematch pitting current champion and U.S. Marine Liz Carmouche (18-7) against No. 4 ranked flyweight challenger, DeAnna Bennett (13-7-1). In the evening’s co-main event, No. 6-ranked heavyweight and Minnesota National Guardsman Tim Johnson (15-9) will compete against Said Sowma (8-4). A women’s featherweight contest featuring former UFC title challenger Sara McMann (13-6), who makes her highly anticipated BELLATOR debut against former No. 1 contender, Arlene Blencowe (15-9).

The preliminary fights will stream live on the BELLATOR MMA YouTube channel, SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Pluto TV. 

BELLATOR 294 preliminary action will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/2 p.m. HST,

BELLATOR 295 prelims begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT/1 p.m. HST. 

The complete bout listing for both events can be found below.

TICKETS:

Friday night’s BELLATOR 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2 event is being held in honor of America’s Military, Veterans and First-Responders, all of whom are eligible to attend the event with a guest for free entry the day of with valid proof of ID. Free admission is based on a limited capacity and available on first come-first serve basis.

BELLATOR 294

Headlining Friday night’s BELLATOR 294 event, undisputed flyweight champion Liz “Girlrilla” Carmouche will aim to earn her second world title defense and sixth straight victory in a rematch with DeAnna Bennett. At 38, the pioneering Carmouche has proven that age is just a number; the Marine Corps veteran has won seven of her last eight, including all five of her BELLATOR outings — four of which came by finish. The San Diego-based titleholder closed out her 2022 campaign with a bang, shutting the door on her saga with Juliana Velasquez with a dominant second-round armbar submission victory at BELLATOR 289. In Hawaii, Carmouche will look to continue her resurgent dominance with another opportunity to turn away a former vanquished foe: the No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound talent will rematch Bennett with the world title on the line after previously submitting her in the third round of their BELLATOR 246 matchup in September 2020. 

In what will be her first chance at wrapping the BELLATOR world title around her waist, No. 4-ranked flyweight DeAnna “Vitamin D” Bennett hopes that she will be the first in the promotion able to defeat Liz Carmouche when the cage door closes in Hawaii. Also 38, Bennett has fought a who’s who of flyweights and strawweights during her decade-plus career, but she has hit her stride in BELLATOR since moving her training to Marquez MMA and Daniel Gracie Team in Philadelphia. On the strength of three straight victories over Alejandra Lara and Justine Kish twice, Bennett believes that the time is now to exact revenge on Carmouche, keep her winning streak intact, and become a world champion inside the BELLATOR cage.

A staple of BELLATOR’s heavyweight division since 2018, the intimidating Tim Johnson will look to pick up his fourth victory with the promotion in defense of his No. 6 ranking in the weight class. The 37-year-old holds victories over two current Top 10 contenders in No. 4-ranked Cheick Kongo and No. 9-ranked Tyrell Fortune. In Hawaii, he hopes to add another younger talent to his résumé when he faces off with Said Sowma in a matchup of powerful bruisers. 

Looking to take Johnson’s place among the upper echelon of the BELLATOR heavyweight division is Sowma, a proven finisher who holds victories over notable veterans in former world champion Vitaly Minakov and Ronny Markes. The American Top Team product trains daily with many of the sport’s top fighters and has won eight of his last eleven outings. At 31, he believes his time to enter the divisional rankings is quickly approaching, and against Johnson in Hawaii, he will have the chance to do just that.

No. 2-ranked women’s featherweight contender Arlene “Angerfist” Blencowe is coming off her third crack at the World Featherweight Championship and second fight against Cris Cyborg. Since her BELLATOR debut in 2015, the 39-year-old has been a staple of the featherweight division and developed a reputation as a powerful puncher. The recordholder for most BELLATOR fights, wins, and knockouts at featherweight, the Australian will look to spoil the promotional debut of McMann with a triumphant win in Hawaii. 

In her BELLATOR debut, former Olympic Games wrestling silver medalist and Bantamweight World Championship title challenger Sara McMann will win her second consecutive fight and make an immediate impact in the featherweight division against Blencowe. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee will compete at 145 pounds for the first time in her storied combat sports career on April 21 as she begins her tenure with BELLATOR. Holding career victories over the likes of No. 9-ranked UFC Karol Rosa and world title challengers Jessica Eye, Lauren Murphy, and Tonya Evinger, McMann will look to assert her claim as a BELLATOR title contender in Hawaii.

BELLATOR 294: CARMOUCHE VS. BENNETT 2 MAIN CARD:

Friday, April 21 – live on SHOWTIME

10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT/4 p.m. HST (local) 

Flyweight World Title Bout: C-Liz Carmouche (18-7) vs. #4DeAnna Bennett (13-7-1)

Heavyweight Co-Main Event: #6-Tim Johnson (15-9) vs. Said Sowma (8-4) 

Featherweight Bout: #2-Arlene Blencowe (15-9) vs. Sara McMann (13-6)

*Card subject to change.

Please visit Bellator.com for additional information.