INGLEWOOD, Calif. –Cris Cyborg is now the first fighter, regardless of gender, to win major hampionships in in four different promotions in modern MMA history.
In her Bellator debut Saturday night, Cyborg (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) added the company’s women’s featherweight crown to a career list of accomplishments which included Strikeforce, Invicta FC, and the UFC.
Cyborg gradually wore down a tough Julia Budd before finishing things with a tremendous finishing flurry in the fourth round during the main event of Bellator 238, capturing the title via TKO at 1:14 of the fourth round.
The tone was set in the opening round. Cyborg pushed the pace, throwing elbows, punches, and everything but the kitchen sink at her foe. The underrated Budd, for her part, was game for a battle. She did her best to neutralize Cyborg in the clinch and got her share of strikes in when they traded in the pocket.
Cyborg slipped throwing a head kick in the first round, and Budd did her best to capitalize, but she ended up throwing an illegal knee to the downed Cyborg, which drew a warning from referee Mike Beltran.
Things continued apace in the second, as Cyborg mixed shots to the head and body, closed the distance when she landed, and did her best to finish the fight, but Budd was always able to either clinch, cover up, or scramble to safety.
In the third, though, it started to become obvious Budd was slowing, and Cyborg was still going strong. A wicked calf kick thrown by Cyborg accentuated the disparity, and a big ground-and-pound flurry at the horn didn’t portend well for Budd going forward.
Cyborg wasted little time in the fourth. She pushed forward with a vintage Cyborg flurry, and finally finished things with a hellacious body kick that dropped Budd to the mat.
The victory was Cyborg’s second in a row, and 17th career KO/TKO win. Budd, who was the inaugural women’s 145-pound champion and held the title for three years, had an 11-fight win streak snapped.
The women’s featherweight title fight was the Bellator 238 main event at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card streamed on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Up-to-the-minute Bellator 238 results include:
- Cris Cyborg def. Julia Budd via TKO (strikes) — Round 4, 1:14 (women’s featherweight title bout)
- Darrion Caldwell def. Adam Borics via submission (rear-naked choke — Round 1, 2:20 (featherweight grand prix quarterfinal bout)
- Juan Archuleta def. Henry Corrales via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28. 29-28)
- Sergio Pettis def. Alfred Khashakyan via submission (guillotine choke) — Round 1, 3:00
- Raymond Daniels def. Jason King via TKO — Round 1, 3:07
- Emilee King def. Ava Knight via submission (rear-naked choke) — Round 1, 2:18
- Brandon Bender def. Joshua Jones via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
- Aaron Pico def. Daniel Carey via KO (punch) — Round 2, 0:15
- AJ Agazarm def. Adel Altamimi via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 1:22
- Mario Navarro vs. Jay Jay Wilson def. Navarro via submission (armbar) — Round 1, 2:48
- Curtis Millender def. Moses Murrietta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
- Chris Avila def. Anthony Taylor via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Miguel Jacob def. David Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27. 30-26, 30-27)
