January 25, 2020 – Los Angeles, CA – Bellator 238: Budd vs. Cyborg air on DAZN, taking place from The Fabulous Forum and did not disappoint. The former home of the Los Angeles Lakers continues to be Bellator’s Southern California Tent Pole house and tonight’s fight card did not disappoint. The main event title fight was North America vs. South America, Canada vs. Brazil, Champion vs. Challenger and two of the toughest women on the planet were doing battle tonight!
Here are the results as follow:
Strawweight Main Card Bout: Ava Knight (1-0) vs. Emilee King (3-3)
Round One: King leads with a low kick but Knight throws a straight right that rocks King quick. King wrestles Knight to the canvas, takes full mount and is looking for the guillotine while riding high. Knight tries to buck her off, giving King a chance for an arm bar as they continue to scramble on the ground. King has her hooks in and puts Knight to sleep with a rear naked choke.
Your winner by rear naked choke at 2:18 of the very first round, Emilee King!
Welterweight Main Card Bout: Raymond Daniels (1-1) vs. Jason King (8-5-1)
Round One: Daniels lands a side kick that knocks King down. King’s striking is no match for Daniels and moves on to grappling after ducking a spinning heel kick. Daniels eats a low blow to the family jewels in the clinch, forcing referee Mike Beltran to call time. Daniels lands reverse round house kick and follows it up with a jumping round house. A right hook drops king and a second down does the same. King can barely stand and Daniels won’t go to the ground with him. King shoots for a single, takes Daniels down as he searches for a knee bar, but this one is over due to strikes.
Your winner by TKO at of the very first round, Raymond Daniels!
Bantamweight Main Card Bout: Sergio Pettis (18-5) vs. Alfred Khashakyan (11-4)
Round One: They touch gloves and the two fighters are feeling each other out. Khashakyan has a unique stance, allowing him to make get inside Pettis’ defenses. This bout has the potential to be the fight of the night, all it takes is for one make to make a simple mistake and this one can be over in an instant. Kashakyan left himself open, eats a right hook, goes down, Pettis follows him in for the ground and pound then puts the Armenian to sleep with a guillotine.
Your winner at 3:00 of the very first round, Sergio Pettis!
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Henry Corrales (17-4) vs. Juan Archuleta (23-2)
Round One: The fighters are feeling each other out as they circle the age, 47 seconds had passes before a strike was thrown, which came from Archuleta. Corrales slipped in throwing a jab, allowing Archuleta to counter with two straight punches to the face. The two start swinging but nothing really connects by either as the crowd has gone silent. Archuleta slips under and overhand left as Corrales follows him around the cage. At this point the crowd has begun to boo the combatants as neither is really advancing. Corrales shot for single and the two start swinging with 10 seconds left in the round.
Round Two: This is the first fight on the main card to make it out of the first round so far and the crowd in the upper decks is cheering for Corrales. The fight continues to be more of the same as nearly a minute has gone by and only Archuleta has thrown two low kicks. The two continue the feeling out period, each landing a clean shot the pulling back. The fists fly half way through the round, but no one has a clear advantage at this point. What could have been fight of the night as turned into the yellow caution tape that no one was fully willing to cross until Archuleta uses a waist lock take down that Corrales quickly pops up from as he never completely went to the ground. As the round comes to an end, Corrales gets a double leg to a mount for the ground and pound.
Round Three: Archuleta comes out with a scissor kick that Corrales catches in an attempt for a single leg. A couple of big attempts by both men as Corrales rocks Archuleta but doesn’t follow through. The crowd is completely displeased with this fight that will possibly go to the judges. This one is over as the crowd boos both fighters. Archuleta jumps on the cage and flips off the crowd.
Your winner by unanimous decision, Juan Archuleta.
Featherweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal Bout: Darrion Caldwell (14-3) vs. Adam Borics (14-0)
Round One: The touch gloves and are ready to throw down. Borics leads with a single low kick followed by a spinning head kick that neither the connect. The crowd has started to boo early on, especially after the last fight, which no one can blame them at this point. Caldwell shoots a double leg, landing in Borics guard. The Hungarian tries to wall walk, but with every move Caldwell inches closer in taking his back. Caldwell gets the rear naked choke with his back against the cage and a tap out.
Your winner at 2:20 of the very first round and moving on to the Semifinals of the Featherweight World Grand Prix, Darrion Caldwell!
Featherweight World Title Bout: Julia Budd [(C) 13-2)] vs. Cris “Cyborg” Justino (21-2-1)
Round One: Cyborg is in Lakers colors as she’s in the former home of LA’s team. She takes cage control quickly, but Budd reverses it. Budd has the wingspan of a swimmer, which makes it easier to get those underhooks in. Cyborg escapes, lands a knee and feeds Budd a straight right hand that stung her. Cyborg took Budd down, but couldn’t get the mount as the champion quickly popped back to her feet. The crowd is clearly behind Cyborg as the Canadian has complete cage control. The two exchanges knees against the cage as Cyborg regained cage control. Cyborg slipped on a head kick, Budd followed her down and landed in a dangerous positiong that could have ended her title reign. Budd escapes into a North-South position as Cyborg spins out ending up in Budd’s guillotine, but Budd knees the Brazilian challenge in the head while both knees where down. Cyborg knocks Budd down, lands in the champion’s guard against the cage and is dropping bombs on her ribs, while Budd ties up the challenger.
Round Two: The crowd is still going crazy from the bombs that Cyborg was dropping at the end of the first round. Cyborg looks energized as she grabs Budd’s low kick, driving the Candian against the cage and tying her up. Budd escapes to the center of the cage and is throwing her striking combinations that don’t appear to phase the challenger. Cyborg rocked the champion a bit but pulled back to not gas out, driving her into the cage yet again. Cyborg is looking to be the first women two win four world titles in four different major organizations. Budd is a fighting champion and will not quit.
Cyborg throws a low kick that nearly chops Budd to the ground, Budd answers with a teep kick of her own. This is a main event worthy title fight for sure as Cyborg starts to unload elbows against the Canadian. Cyborg appears to be smiling in the center of the cage. Budd shoots for a single leg but is met with a knee.
Round Three: Third round and Cyborg looks like she’s got more energy than ths did in the first. Budd takes cage control as the two exchange knees and position. The two spin around on the cage yet again as Budd goes for another single leg that she can’t finish. The champions her way back to the center cage, slowing the pace only to get taken down with a single leg, pulling Cyborg into her closed guard against the cage, which if you don’t know, is a very dangerous place to be. Cyborg pops up, drops some bombs and closes in to a half guard position. Cyborg is throwing elbows to the champion’s ribs trying to stay active so referee Mike Beltran doesn’t stand them up. This round comes to an end with Cyborg dropping the ground and pound.
Round Four: We have entered the championship rounds Budd stood in her corner between rounds. Cyborg contiues to move but the pace is much slower now than the previous three rounds. The longer this goes, the more it seems it could favor Budd. Cyborg unloads on the champion against the cage and the liver kick has ended it, Cris Cyborg is your new Bellator Featherweight Champion!
Your winner by TKO at 1:14 of the fourth round and new Bellator Featherweight Champion, Cris “Cyborg” Justino!
Great stuff, well done