Bellator Hawaii: Ilima Lei Macfarlane works with shamanic healer and sports psychologist ahead of homecoming title defence

We are talking Lu’au. Party time. Perhaps only characters like Ilima Lei-Macfarlane can be planning a 'thank you' party for 250 guests - including, by the way, an invite for her opponent Valerie Letourneau - in what will be a celebration of fighting, culture, and fighting culture this week in Hawaii. Extraordinary really. But then again, Macfarlane is an extraordinary young woman, as the holder of the Bellator MMA flyweight title, and unbeaten in eight contests thus far.   

We are talking 'party' after discussing Shamanic healers, sports psychologists, and the homecoming fight. More of which in a moment. But as is her want, Ilima explains her culture, never far from the surface. 

“It’s a tradition, basically a big party - Lu'au. I’m putting it on for all the Bellator people on Sunday. I’ve even invited Valerie to it,” Macfarlane explained to me as she readies herself for a huge week in Hawaii. A party of her own making, after claiming the inaugural women's flyweight crown on the American continent.   

“Typically the biggest celebrations in Hawaiian culture is the baby’s lu’au, which is a baby’s first birthday. The reason that was so big is because infant mortality was so high back in those days," explained the fighter who attended the same high school as former US President Barack Obama, and who holds a MA in cultural studies.    

"If your children lived to turn one, then that was good. That’s one of the big celebrations that we have in Hawaii. Since I’m living California, I fly back home for all my nieces’ and nephews’ baby luau."

Mcfarlane is now on a roll. "It’s just a really big event. Other times we have a lu’au is weddings, graduations parties. My family, we’ve had a tradition to have a lu’au after my fights. The last one I had was when I won the belt and I came home and we did it. It’s a sign of gratitude for everyone that is coming to watch my fight. I knew I’d made it when I was able to by my family a really nice dinner after I won the belt."

"I was able to take everyone out to dinner and thank them for flying out and supporting me. I paid the bill. So this lu’au is like another symbol of that. I’m sponsoring the whole thing. It’s for my sponsors and everyone at Bellator, and all my friends and family who are flying in to come watch my fight. It’s just a way of saying thank you for all the support.”

The party itself, on the Sunday, will mirror the celebration she put together when she returned home with the crown after defeating Emily Ducote.

“That was for - I would say - 300. Actually that one was probably more towards 200. We’ve held parties on our family property before. The biggest one was probably 300 and that was for a baby lu’au. This is will probably be around 250.”

“The style is we have drinks and pupus,which are appetisers, for the first hour and let everyone get there. We have traditional Hawaiian music. I was very adamant that we should share our culture with all of our Bellator guests like the staff. I really wanted traditional Hawaiian music. We’ve hired artists to play. I wanted Hawaiian food, so we’ve got caterers."

"Some lu’aus, they cater Korean food or Hawaiian BBQ. The most ceremonial thing we do is when we bless the food, it’s called pule. Then we eat and party. It’s just one big party basically. My sponsors are sponsoring all the alcohol.”

The entire camp for this fight has been in San Diego, so the six-day countdown to this event will be huge in her mind. Therefore, she has been working mentally and emotionally on how to adapt to what could be an exhausting few days of fever pitch around her. It has meant working with a Shamanic healer - and a sports psychologist. “I haven’t done any of my camp in Hawaii, it’s all been in San Diego. The press tour was the last time I was home,” she explained.

This remains a major, major event for Hawaii. “Even aside from my fight, the entire card is stacked. Even the prelims with all the locals fighters on the card, there are some killers. The energy in the arena is going to be insane on the night.”It will be a case of containing her emotion. “Of course, 100 per cent. I have to be on point with my focus."

"I’ve taken the necessary steps and measures to ensure that focus. I’ve been working with my sport psychologist. I’ve been working on the spiritual side with a Shamanic healer, who helps me cope with my emotions. My family and friends all understand that I’m not going to be miss social butterfly during fight week. I need to be by myself, doing my fight week obligations and that’s it. Afterwards we’ll party at the lu’au. I feel good. I feel like the excitement of everything and the anxiety hasn’t hit quite yet, but I think it’s because I’m managing it.”

Does it feel surreal? “Of course. I say now I’ve been masking my emotions very well, but I know the minute I get to Hawaii things are going to change. I know the minute I step foot in the arena for my walk-out, it’s going to come flooding in. I’m prepared for that and I know that’s going to happen, I can’t stop it. I’m just trying to keep as calm and cool as possible until that moment.”

Her corner team will be the same, but she has been in touch with Hawaiian fight legend BJ Penn. “It’s going to be the same corner for my title fight. It’s funny, I have been talking to BJ Penn this whole camp. He’s in Brazil right now, but he always checks in and sees how I’m doing. My walk-out is special each time, and for this one I’m doing a traditional Hawaiian walk-out with Kahili bearers. They would actually would escort the royalty and the chiefs out. So I’m going to be flanked with the Kahili bearers who will escort me out into the cage. I asked BJ if he wanted to be one of them, but he’s in Brazil preparing for his camp. There won’t be any mystery guest corner.”

The fight itself, she knows, will be her toughest challenge yet, against the vastly experienced Letourneau.“Of course. My coaches don’t need to tell me she’s going to be the hardest fight, because I already know that. It comes down to her experience. I’ve told everybody, she has literally twice as many fights as I do and she’s been doing this for over 20 years. Just her experience alone is definitely a huge factor, probably the biggest factor in this fight. She’s not going to make any mistakes and I won’t be able to overwhelm her or frustrate her because she’s been there before. She’s battled tested. So yes, 100 per cent she is going to be my hardest fight.”

But victory will bring true legitimacy for the Macfarlane reign. “Yes.  I say that because her record is really underrated. Her record does not reflect her fighting skills or her ability. Because looking at who she’s fought, she has literally only fought the best in the world. She went all five rounds with Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who is pound-for-pound one of the best fighters in the world.I don’t think her record reflects just how good she is.”

Being in Hawaii heightens everything, the occasion, the homecoming, the pressure. “It does. But would I rather be fighting somewhere where nobodies know me? When you get an opponent like Valerie there is already a lot of pressure because she’s a next level opponent. Yeah, I would kind of rather fight somewhere where there isn’t any pressure on me and nobody knows me.  In that sense, I don’t feel that pressure because I know the people I love and the people I care about are still going to be there to pick me up. It’s hot and cold. I do feel pressure, but then I don’t."

"But, fighting at home is what I always wanted. I also know and believe whatever happens in that cage on December 15 Hawaii is still going to be there for me, they’ll still have my back and they’ll still love me. Hawaii is not your casual MMA fans, they are hardcore supporters. They love their fighters and it doesn’t matter if we get knocked out in the first round. They love us and have our backs no matter what."

It going to be some week, and the fighter named after the flower of Oahu will take centre stage, as colourful as she is powerful and effective as a modern woman warrior.