HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — For those who care about mixed martial arts history, [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag]’s main event against [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] on Saturday at Bellator 238 is a fight to watch. If Cyborg (21-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) can wrest the Bellator featherweight title from Budd (13-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA), it will give her a world title in a fourth promotion, to go with belts won in Strikeforce, Invicta FC, and the UFC.
But while Cyborg admits another championship in her collection would be nice, to her, Saturday night is mostly about a fresh start.
Cyborg will make her Bellator debut after a successful but acrimonious stint in the UFC. That, for Cyborg, means as much as any prize she can attain in her new promotion.
“I feel young. I feel motivated,” Cyborg told MMA Junkie at Thursday’s media day. “I feel happy, for new chapter in my career. Excited to have this fight.”
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Cyborg’s 13-year stretch without a loss came to an end in Dec. 2018, when she lost the UFC title to Amanda Nunes. In hindsight, though, Cyborg views the loss as a blessing. After all, if she was still holding the title, she’d have been bound to the company through a champion’s clause. Instead, she’s freed from her tense business relationship with UFC president Dana White.
“I feel in my heart, that loss is God’s gift,” Cyborg said. “Because if (it did) not happen, I would not be here now. And now I am so happy for this new chapter, new era for me. I’m so happy in Bellator. If not happen, I would have to stay unhappy and struggling every day. And now I’m happy here, you know? Now I am focused on training, fighting.”
Now free of the stress of her previous promoter, Cyborg looks to enhance her legacy with another title. She’s found her own happiness already, but said taking the title from Budd will spread joy to those around.
“I think the belt means a lot of me, for me, just be thankful to have a belt around me,” Cyborg said. “For me, to use this platform to share my faith and touch people’s hearts and do what I love to do. You know? This belt is important to touch people’s hearts I’m going to hold their hand for a long time.”
Bellator 238 takes place at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
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