Bellator's Ilima Macfarlane Will Quit Waiting Tables with 1 More Win in MMA

Mixed martial artists don't have an easy life. Even among UFC elites, fighters often need to supplement their MMA income with a more conventional job or approach MMA as a paid hobby just to keep a roof over their heads.

Bellator's Ilima Macfarlane is no different, as she juggles cagefighting with waiting tables at a steakhouse. With a big fight opposite Emily Ducote at Bellator 167 on Saturday, however, she is looking to take the life-changing plunge into full-time MMA and has made that clear to her bosses.

"If I win my fight, then I'm not coming back," she told MMA Junkie's Steven Marrocco. "...They want to see me again, but they also don't want me to lose. I want to leave on good terms, so just in case I do need a job when I get back, it will be there for me."

That's a big gamble for the 26-year-old fighter, who acknowledged to Marrocco that she will need to remain undefeated in order to stay afloat financially. It's even riskier when one considers that Ducote is no easy out.

"She's a collegiate-level wrestler. She's a blue belt in jiu-jitsu, so she has a solid ground game. She's finished her last two opponents," said Macfarlane. "This girl is frickin' well-rounded and a beast. Stylistically, she's my hardest opponent to date because she's so well-rounded and our styles are so similar."

Indeed, Macfarlane (4-0) does face her stiffest test to date this Saturday. Not having to put on a uniform Monday, however, should provide some extra incentive.