Kate Jackson surprised she got title shot against Ilima-lei Macfarlane at Bellator 236

HONOLULU — Kate Jackson didn’t expect to be fighting for Bellator gold.

The British fighter challenges women’s flyweight champion Ilima-lei MacFarlane on Saturday in the Bellator 236 main event in Honolulu. But despite being on a two-fight winning streak and 4-1 in her past five bouts, Jackson (11-3-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) didn’t think she’d be the one fighting the champ next at 125-pounds.

“I knew if I was offered that fight (with Macfarlane) it would be here because they were looking at a December Hawaii show. But actually, initially I was more surprised than excited,” Jackson told MMA Junkie after a Wednesday workout. “I thought maybe I’d have one more fight before this one. But yeah, once it sunk in, I found my manager just after a training session and he said, ‘Are you ready to do five five-minute rounds?’ And I was like, ‘Wow – that means I got the title shot, then.’ And once it sunk in, I was definitely excited. My coach was over the moon instantly, but I needed to let it sink in for a bit.”

Although Jackson didn’t think a title shot would be coming her way, she does think now is the time for her to be fighting the champ.

“Obviously, there was some talk of my last fight potentially being a No. 1 contender fight, but I knew there were others in the mix,” Jackson said. “So I thought maybe it would go to one of them first and then I’d get the opportunity. So it wasn’t necessarily about whether I was ready. I just wasn’t sure if I was going to get it straight away. As soon as I got my head around it, it’s the right time for me.”

The British fighter, who fought on Season 23 of ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ knows what she’s in for facing Hawaii’s Macfarlane.

“She’s obviously a really dominant fighter, undefeated – she’s relentless and I really admire that in her,” Jackson said. “She’s got a good wrestling game and good submission grappling. She knows what she wants, and she goes after it.”