MMA
Cris Cyborg defends Bellator 145-pound title, dominates Arlene Blencowe for first career submission victory
Cris Cyborg’s first defense of her women’s featherweight championship was a successful one. She defeated Arlene Blencowe via the first submission of her decorated career in the main event of Bellator 249 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Thursday
Cyborg was making her first defense of the belt she won when she defeated inaugural champion Julia Budd in January.
The bout was expected to be a high-octane striking affair between the ferocious Cyborg and Blencowe, who is also a professional boxer. But it wasn’t the striking that got the job done on this night.
Cyborg and Blencowe sought to impose their will early through their stand-up work, but Cyborg managed to pin her opponent against the cage and secure a takedown. She immediately put her seldom-used Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to work; she swiftly transitioned to full mount and began raining down punishment. After Blencowe gave up her back, Cyborg threatened with a choke, but the Australian challenger managed to make it to her feet and escape danger to close the first round.
Determined to not allow the fight to see the scorecards, Cyborg opened the second frame with a healthy diet of kicks and punches. The sheer variety of offense left Blencowe bewildered and the champion soon rumbled inside with a brutal barrage of strikes that busted up the "Angerfist."
With Blencowe badly damaged, Cyborg brought the fight back to the canvas. It seemed clear that Cyborg’s agenda was to collect the first submission victory in her 15-year career. After clobbering Blencowe with vicious ground-and-pound, Cyborg cinched in another rear-naked choke attempt. This time, Blencowe had no route to escape and was forced to tap out.
Cyborg is now 2-0 in her Bellator career and it appears the champion is going to have a hard time finding an opponent to dethrone her.
