Bellator free fight: Juliana Velasquez TKOs Rebecca Ruth in Missouri

Undefeated flyweight contender Juliana Velasquez gets her first shot at Bellator championship gold on Thursday night when she takes on reigning champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane.

Velasquez (10-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) will face Macfarlane (11-0 MMA, 10-0 BMMA) in the main event of Bellator 254, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on CBS Sports Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Velasquez’s run in Bellator began with a second-round submission of Na Liang at Bellator 189 in December 2017, then she faced Rebecca Ruth at Bellator 197 the following April as she looked to register back-to-back wins with her new promotion.

Her second fight went longer than her first, as Ruth pushed the Brazilian into the third round of their matchup in St. Charles, Missouri, but Velasquez found a finish, thanks to a body kick just 19 seconds into the final frame.

With that win under her belt, Velasquez went on to win three more times to book her title shot against Macfarlane. Ahead of that championship clash, relive her victory over Ruth via the video above.