HONOLULU — The Pineapple Princess is making one last stand in her island home.

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane headlines the return of Bellator to Hawaii for a two-night event, April 21 and 22, as she attempts to traverse a path to reclaiming the mixed martial arts organization’s flyweight belt. Bellator on Wednesday officially announced Bellator 294 and 295 at the Blaisdell Arena with a Showtime broadcast component.

What You Need To Know

  • Bellator MMA makes its return to the islands for a two-night event, Bellator 294 and 295, April 21 and 22 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena

  • The first night is headlined by a title contest between flyweight champion Liz Carmouche against challenger DeAnna Bennett, while the second night features hometown fighter Ilima-Lei Macfarlane taking on Kana Watanabe for a possible future chance at a flyweight title fight

  • Raufeon Stots and Patchy Mix will fight in the other co-main event of Bellator 295 for the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix tournament championship and a $1 million prize

  • Other local fighters to compete in Bellator 295 preliminary fights include Yancy Medeiros, Kai Kamaka III, Keoni Diggs and Sumiko Inaba

Macfarlane (12-2), the No. 3 flyweight, will take on No. 2 Kana Watanabe (11-1-1) as the co-main event the second night. The winner of that fight could get a shot at the winner of the previous night’s championship bout between Liz Carmouche (18-7) and challenger DeAnna Bennett (13-7-1).

A loss could mean the end of Macfarlane’s career.

“Nothing has been confirmed yet about fights after this one, but in my eyes, I see this fight as a title elimination shot,” Macfarlane told Kanoa Leahey and Billy Hull on ESPN Honolulu’s Let’s Talk Sports radio show Wednesday.

“The storyline alone is crazy — I could potentially, with a win against Kana and with Liz successfully defending her belt the night before, I could meet Liz in my last fight of my MMA career,” Macfarlane said. “Liz who has been my close friend, my mentor. She was the person who signed me up into the MMA gym when I first started.”

Last April, Macfarlane was wheeled out of the Blaisdell to a hospital after an upset loss to Justine Kish. Macfarlane said she fought through a neck injury she suffered early in the fight that limited her ability.

Macfarlane defeated Bruna Ellen by unanimous decision in August to snap a two-fight skid. At the time, Macfarlane said that she hoped it would set up another chance to fight at home.

It came to pass.

Watanabe, of Japan, was someone she said she’d always wanted to fight, but the timing never previously worked out. Her only loss to date was against Carmouche in June 2021.

“I hope she’s ready for a war in my hometown in front of a raging Hawaiian audience,” Macfarlane said on Let’s Talk Sports. “And then she can come to the luau afterwards and we’ll party.”

In the other main event of Bellator 295, Raufeon Stots (19-2) will face Patchy Mix (17-1) for the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix tournament championship and a $1 million prize.

A host of other local fighters make up the preliminary card for Bellator 295 on April 22.

They include Makaha’s Yancy Medeiros (16-8) vs. Charlie Leavy (17-13-1); Wahiawa’s Keoni Diggs (10-2) vs. Weber Almeida (7-1); Ewa Beach’s Kai Kamaka III (10-5-1) vs. Adli Edwards (9-2); and Maui’s Sumiko Inaba (5-0). vs. Veta Arteaga (7-4).

Bellator 294 is reserved for active military, veterans and first responders, while Bellator 295 is available to the full public.

Tickets go on sale Friday.

Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.