Matches to Make After Bellator 295

OUT COLD! 😱@TeamMixMMA KNOCKS OUT @RaufeonStots to win the #BellatorBWGP $1,000,000 crown.#Bellator295 | LIVE NOW | @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/l0smOYG2yr
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) April 23, 2023

The second night of Bellator MMA's Hawaii doubleheader featured the conclusion of its 135-pound Grand Prix and bantamweight interim champion Raufeon Stots facing arguably one of mixed martial arts’ most underrated grapplers in Patrick Mix. Stots had been undefeated since his lone MMA defeat to Merab Dvalishvili back in 2017, and has since won 11 straight. His last four victories were especially grand, defeating Josh Hill and Magomed Magomedov by decision, decimating former bantamweight king Juan Archuleta with a head kick to win the interim crown, and then gutting out a tough five-round split decision against Danny Sabatello in his last outing.

Since suffering his first loss in MMA against Archuleta via close decision in his first bid for the bantamweight crown, Mix has gone 4-0, with three of those coming by submission. That included submissions over fellow grappling aces James Gallagher and Magomedov as well as a dominant five-round drubbing of former Rizin Fighting Federation and Bellator champion Kyoji Horiguchi. This was supposed to be a prolonged war of attrition with Stots looking to strike and Mix looking to grapple, but “Patchy” decided to flip the script, requiring just 80 seconds to deliver an absolute beauty of a knee to Stots’ chin, leaving his foe a crumpled, dazed mess on the canvas. It's a scintillating victory as well as a terrifying one for every bantamweight on the planet, as Mix was already a horror to face when one need only worry about his grappling.

In the co-main, former Bellator female flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane again delighted the Hawaiian home crowd when she took on Japan's Kana Watanabe. MacFarlane began her career a perfect 11-0, winning the Bellator crown and defending it four times. But after losing a close five-round decision to then fellow undefeated Julianna Velasquez, MacFarlane shockingly lost her next outing against Justine Kish. Despite talks of retirement, she came back to defeat Bruna Ellen and looked to get another crack at the title after overcoming Watanabe. Watanabe, for her part, has looked very good in Bellator with the exception of a 35 second knockout loss to champion Liz Carmouche, her only defeat. Since then, she has an impressive second-round submission over former title challenger and top female kickboxer Denise Kielholtz. What ensued was a gritty, pitched battle. MacFarlane appeared to win the first round with her right cross, badly bloodying Watanabe's eye, but the Japanese judoka responded with repeated takedowns in the final two stanzas. However, she did very little with the position, especially in Round 3, though MacFarlane's small hammerfists weren't much, either. In the end, MacFarlane took the split decision which could have went to either woman.

In other action, Aaron Pico returned from a badly injured shoulder and got back in the win column, battering hapless James Gonzales en route to an easy decision triumph. In the prelims, undefeated Hawaiian prospect Sumiko Inaba stayed undefeated while repeatedly crushing Veta Arteaga's face with jabs and crosses, leaving it a bloody, pulpy mess after three rounds.

Here are several intriguing bouts that suggest themselves after this event:

Patrick Mix vs. Winner of Sergio Pettis-Patricio Freire

This is natural matchmaking, with the interim and Grand Prix champion facing the bantamweight king, whether that be Pettis or Freire. Mix would be a big favorite against Pettis, as despite Pettis' phenomenal, technically perfect striking, he was dominated through grappling for over three rounds by Horiguchi. Still, it would be a fascinating encounter for however long it lasted. Meanwhile, a showdown against Freire, who is already Bellator's greatest champion ever and would be its first ever champ-champ-champ, a champion across three different divisions, would be a phenomenal showdown and one of the promotion's biggest title fights ever.

Liz Carmouche vs. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane

I mentioned that Carmouche should face the winner of 295's co-main in my matches to make for 294, and now I can formalize it. MacFarlane was Bellator's first flyweight champion, with an impressive four title defenses, as well as a former training partner of Carmouche. This would be one of the biggest women's matches Bellator could make and a very worthy main event, especially if it also occurred in Hawaii. There is no telling how either the striking or grappling would go, especially after Carmouche looked vulnerable in her rematch against Bennett.

Aaron Pico vs. Jeremy Kennedy

Pico is the No 3 ranked featherweight. Kennedy No. 2. The first time they collided, Pico lost due to a freak shoulder injury early in Round 1. Why not run it back? Especially since there is no rush with the featherweight division, as champion Patricio Freire is challenging Sergio Pettis for the bantamweight crown, and neither Pico nor Kennedy should be ahead of No. 1 ranked Adam Borics for a title shot, who has wins over both of them. However, the winner of this proposed showdown will make a strong case for themselves, and with Pico's ability to neutralize Kennedy's grappling and land bone-rattling bombs, this may be highly entertaining.

Sumiko Inaba vs. Denise Kielholtz

After shellacking No. 7 ranked Arteaga, Inaba should move up the rankings. A wonderful test for the undefeated 32 year-old and an exciting fight for fans is kickboxing world champion and former title challenger Kielholtz, who is No. 5. Will Inaba use grappling, or stick to her bread-and-butter striking? Regardless, there could be some electric striking exchanges, and it's a match Inaba will need to win if she wants to challenge for the women's flyweight crown.