Bellator 294

Bellator 294: Carmouche vs. Bennett 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on April 21, 2023, at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States.

Background
The opening bout of a two-night doubleheader saw flyweight champion Liz Carmouche defending her title against DeAnna Bennett on April 21 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. Bennett and Carmouche previously squared off in September 2020, with Carmouche submitting Bennett in both fighters' Bellator debuts. Since losing to Carmouche in her promotional debut, Bennett hasn't had a defeat. The former contestant of "The Ultimate Fighter 26" has won three straight fights, including decisions over Justine Kish in back-to-back bouts.

Bellator 294 was dedicated for military and first responders meaning that there will be no tickets on sale to the general public.

At the weigh-ins, Bennett weighed in at 126.2 pounds, 1.2 pounds over the title flyweight fight limit. The bout proceeded at catchweight with Bennett being fined 30% of his purse, which went to her opponent Carmouche. Carmouche also chose to keep the title on the line, meaning if she loses the fight, the title will become vacant. Likewise, Blake Smith (146.4 lbs) and Cris Lencioni (152.4 lbs) both missed weight for their bout, coming in .4 and 6.4 pounds over the non-title limits. The bout proceeded at catchweight and both were fined a percentage of their purses.