Juliana Velasquez vs. Bruna Ellen set for Bellator Hawaii

Brazilian flyweights Juliana Velasquez and Bruna Ellen will collide in what could be a No. 1 contender bout at Bellator’s upcoming event in Hawaii on Dec. 21, promotion officials confirmed to MMA Fighting following a report by KITV.

The card will be headlined by undefeated flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane defending her throne against Kate Jackson, while AJ McKee Jr. battles Derek Campos in a featherweight grand prix quarterfinal bout in the co-main event slot.

Velasquez vs. Ellen will be featured in the main card in Hawaii’s Neal S. Blaisdell Center.

Velasquez (9-0) was hoping that a win over Kristina Williams in July would secure her a shot at the 125-pound gold, but a second-round TKO finish wasn’t enough. The Brazilian judoka is undefeated in the sport with three stoppages in four Bellator appearances.

Ellen (5-2) scored an unanimous decision win over Elina Kallionidou the last time she entered the circular cage in July, bouncing back from a decision defeat to Williams last November and improving to 3-2 under the Bellator banner.