Justine Kish credits recovery, work with Cris Cyborg for Bellator 279 win over Ilima-Lei Macfarlane

HONOLULU – It wasn’t an easy path for Justine Kish to navigate, but that made her victory at Bellator 279 that much sweeter.

Despite entering the Neil S. Blaisdell Center on a three-fight skid and nagging knee issues, Kish competed with a renewed confidence against Hawaii’s Ilima-Lei Macfarlane, knowing all of the odds would be stacked against her. It was supposed to be a homecoming celebration for the former Bellator flyweight champ Macfarlane, but Kish played the role of spoiler, and is happy a victory was the result of her hard work.

“I’m not one to shy away from opportunities and for chances,” Kish told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the post-fight news conference. “I know I’m a world-class fighter. I won a world title in muay Thai and since my professional MMA career began there were so many ups and downs. Between my Mom’s sickness, her death, and just lots of traveling back and forth – the east coast, west coast, four knee surgeries. It was a lot.”

Kish fought seven times under the UFC banner before her exit in 2021. She left the promotion with a 3-4 record, but landed in Bellator looking for a reset. Her first fight in her new home was in February against DeAnna Bennett, but she was unable to right the ship and lost a unanimous decision. Something still wasn’t right.

“Things happen, things change during hiatuses,” Kish said. “So, it was up to me to really keep on finding the right circuit, the right training, the right people. I don’t know how this happens in my life, but the best people in the world that I needed, they took me in with open arms.

“I reached out to Cris Cyborg and like, ‘Cris, I’m losing these fights,’ and I only met her a couple of times in training, and she welcomed me to her camp, to her training, her coaches, just out of sheer belief. It was what I needed. I finally had a female that was bigger, better, stronger, and No. 1. Just a freakin’ cyborg in this sport, right? So, she took me in with open arms and finally started learning things I really needed to learn.”

Although Kish said she didn’t get to train as much with Cyborg for the fight against Macfarlane, the result in Honolulu was positive. Thanks to a constant focus on her surgically-repaired knee, Kish was able to move more fluid during the contest, which helped her entire game come together.

As a sizeable underdog, Kish re-entered the win column via unanimous decision, even winning all three rounds on one judge’s scorecard. She left the cage ruining the would-be party for Macfarlane, knowing she proved to everyone that she belongs at the top of the division.