Bellator 238 breakdown: Can Cris Cyborg get back to her dominant ways vs. Julia Budd?

MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the Bellator’s top bouts. Today, we look at the main event for Bellator 238.

Bellator 238 takes place Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Julia Budd (13-2 MMA, 7-0 BMMA)

Staple info:

• Height: 5’8″ Age: 36 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 69″
• Last fight: TKO win over Olga Rubin (July 12, 2019)
• Camp: Gibson MMA (Canada)
• Stance/striking style: Orthodox/muay Thai
• Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:

+ Bellator featherweight champion
+ Pro muay Thai experience (10-2 record)
+ 6 KO victories
+ 1 submission win
+ 3 first-round finishes
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Fundamentally sound striker
^ Works the body and legs well
+ Strong inside of the clinch
^ Knees, trips and takedowns
+ Solid positional grappler
^ Works well from topside

Cris Cyborg (21-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA)

Staple info:

• Height: 5’8″ Age: 34 Weight: 145 lbs. Reach: 68″
• Last fight: Decision win over Felicia Spencer (July 27, 2019)
• Camp: Cris Cyborg MMA Fitness (California)
• Stance/striking style: Orthodox/muay Thai
• Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info:

+ UFC, Strikeforce and Invicta FC titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt
+ 17 KO victories
+ 10 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Evolved striking
^ Shot selection and technique
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Solid wrestling and takedown ability
+ Good positional grappler
^ Devastating ground striker

Point of interest: Muay Thai maelstrom

The main event for Bellator 238 features a fantastic featherweight title fight between two females who are familiar with the art of eight limbs.

Coming from professional muay Thai, a sport where she was the only person to defeat Gina Carano, Julia Budd has followed the path of prior female kickboxers like Marloes Coenen (whom Budd retired) and the previously mentioned Carano, successfully transitioning into MMA in her own unique way.

Under the care of her coach and counterpart Lance Gibson (Gibson MMA), we’ve seen Budd establish a well rounded mixed martial arts game that helps translate her striking in a safe and smart manner.

Seldom throwing herself out of position, Budd does a great job of staying on balance while throwing fundamentally-sound strikes to different targets. The Bellator featherweight champion does particularly well at sharpshooting leg and body attacks, but I’m curious as to how her sometimes lower-output style will stack up against a fellow striker who also offers layers to her game.

Enter Cris Cyborg.

Starting off her run as more of a brawling talent from Brazil, Cyborg has found a place to call home in Southern California, working with Jason Parillo to sharpen her striking. A coach who has helped refine fighters such as B.J. Penn and Michael Bisping, Parillo’s influence and subsequent work with Cyborg has shown to play a role in her evolution over recent chapters of her career.

Now, displaying a much more measured approach to pressure, the 34-year-old will steadily stalk forward while managing the distance to her preferred terms. Upgrading her overall stance, Cyborg seems to keep her balance much better, seldom getting herself out of position.

Prodding with a jab to enter space, Cyborg needs all but the slightest bite (or sign of blood in the water) to swarm her opposition with offensive waves of hooking punches and body kicks. However, given the opponent at hand, I suspect that Cyborg will be picking her shots a bit more cautiously given the level-changing threats that the sitting champion offers.

Next point of interest: Clinching crossroads