When Bellator MMA flyweight Alejandra Lara (9-3) signed her new six-fight contact after beating Veta Arteaga at Bellator 235 in December of 2019, she did not think she would have to wait fifteen months before her next fight. On Friday April 2nd, Lara will make her return to the cage to face Kana Watanabe (9-0) at Bellator 255 on Showtime. “It wasn’t a bad time,” said Lara. “I felt like I had a lot of time to think about things and I improved in everything.”
Having made a permanent home in Jalisco, Mexico training at Lobo Gym with the likes of UFC superstars, Alexa Grasso and Irene Aldana, Lara is hopeful that Bellator will travel there sometime soon when it’s safe. “We have a very strong team I feel,” explained Lara. “I feel very inspired training with Alexa and Irene and I actually spoke about that with Scott Coker and he said ‘its interesting and we can do it’ and that would be awesome.”
With the passing of the months came the passing of some opportunities for Lara in the flyweight division, one being a rematch with former flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane who lost her title to Juliana Velasquez last December. Lara beat Velasquez in 2018 and welcomes a rematch with either one this year. “I feel that those two fights that I did with them were so long ago,” said Lara. “I was a different fighter than I am right now so I feel this is going to be a little part of showing what I have now but it’s going to be amazing to fight those girls again.”
Returning from the longest break in her career so far, Lara is ready to give the fans what they have come to expect from her fights and maybe a little more. “I still feel that I have that surprise factor and I feel my fans haven’t seen yet all what I have for my next fight.” said Lara. And being just a few months into 2021, Lara has high hopes for herself in the new year. “This year I want to fight for the title,” said Lara. “I’m very focused right now and even though I didn’t fight last year, my mind was always in the cage, because that’s my career and my priority. I’m ready for anything and everything.”
Photo credit: BELLATOR MMA/ Lucas Noonan
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