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Cris Cyborg is still the Bellator women's featherweight champion. In 25 minutes at Bellator 279 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Cyborg overcame a massively durable Arlene Blencowe.
In the main event of Bellator 279, Cris Cyborg competed against Arlene Blencowe. Since leaving the UFC, she has won the Bellator Featherweight Championship in 2020. Since then he has defended his 145lbs belt three times against Leslie Smith, Sinead Kavanagh and the aforementioned. His first title defense in 2020.
The first round was played as a replay of the 2020 clash between the two women, which Cyborg won in the second round from Rear Naked Square. After hitting Blencowe in the leg, Cyborg took the challenger down and looked back and sank to his knees again. Submission in the first fight was the only submission victory of Cyberg's career.
One of the champion's tactical errors helped keep Blencowe off the hook, with Cyborg kneeling on his head while Blencowe was technically a fallen opponent. That cut to one point for Cyborg and eliminated the dominant opening frame somewhat.
Blencowe proved tough, continuing to fight back despite the pile of punishment by Cyborg. By the middle of the fight, Blencowe was making a big cut on his left eye that seemed to force him to stop fighting. Instead, Blencowe managed to protect the cut and its corner worked well to stop the bleeding.
Cyborg kicked Blencowe's lead in the head and kicked him in the jaws, and occasionally head-kicked Blencowe to guess where the next strike would come from.
Despite the attack, Blencowe won a moral victory, which lasted until the last bell, where Cyborg won 49-45 across the board, their fourth successful defense of the championship.
Saturday's card also kicked off the quarterfinals of the Baletter Bantamweight Grand Prix. Underdog Patchy Mix stunned Kyoji Horiguchi with a flawless back-tech that earned him three rounds in a five-round contest. Also in the tournament, Raufeon Stots emerged as the new interim bantamweight champion when Juan Archuleta was stopped by a vicious head kick.
Bellator 279: Prelims Results
Goiti Yamauchi vs Levan Chokheli: Goiti Yamauchi won via submission
Bobby King vs Keoni Diggs: Bobby King won via split decision.
Dayana Silva vs Janay Harding: Dayana Silva won via unanimous decision.
Justin Gonzales vs Kai Kamaka III: Justin Gonzalez won via split decision.
Lance Gibson Jr. vs Nainoa Dung: Lance Gibson won via unanimous decision.
