Tomorrow night Bellator returns and the women’s featherweight division will be taking center stage. Featherweight queen Cris Cyborg (22-2, 1 NC) will be headlining the card making her first title defense of her Bellator featherweight crown.
Standing across from Cyborg will be Arlene Blencowe (13-7). Blencowe presenters herself as a worthy challenger to Cyborg’s Bellator crown coming into Bellator 249 after winning three consecutive fights. Two of those fights were finished by TKO.
If there is a Mount Rushmore for women’s MMA, Cris Cyborg would be on it. She’s been a champion in all the major promotions from Strikeforce to the UFC and now Bellator. After her UFC contract ended in 2019, Cyborg jumped ship to Bellator.
The promotion immediately threw her in against then featherweight champion, Julia Budd. It was a good fight, but Cyborg was able to pick up the fourth round TKO to claim the title back at Bellator 238. Cyborg will now look to defend her title for the first time.
Bellator 249 Prediction
When Cyborg fights, you pretty much know what you’re going to get. She’s made a career of overwhelming her opponents with her incredible pace and power. Her striking is very good, but it’s her power that just makes her opponents crumble.
Her technique is good, but opponents can get to her if they throw straight shots with good speed. However, nobody outside of Amanda Nunes has really been able to do that to Cyborg in her MMA career. One of the reasons she’s only lost once since 2005.
The Australian challenger is not going to be intimidated by Cyborg. Blencowe has some really good pop of her own, and she has a very well rounded game. The Bellator 249 challenger has never been finished in her MMA career.
I think this is flying under the radar and it could be a very good matchup. While so many people will flock to predict a Cyborg knockout at Bellator 249, Blencowe’s skills and toughness does give me pause. I think she can do some damage in this one.
However, when it’s all said and done, I think Cyborg is going to keep her Bellator crown. She’s just too good and too powerful. I’m going to say that Blencowe has her moments, but she will fall for the first time in her MMA career. Cyborg will get the finish in this one.
Prediction: Cris Cyborg by TKO – Round 3