4 biggest takeaways from Bellator 238: Darrion Caldwell impresses to set up A.J. McKee showdown

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4 biggest takeaways from Bellator 238: Darrion Caldwell impresses to set up A.J. McKee showdown

What mattered most at Bellator 238 in Inglewood? Here are a few post-fight musings …

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1. Cris Cyborg’s big moment and what’s next

Cris Cyborg picked up her fourth major promotional championship with a fourth-round TKO of Julia Budd to claim the women’s featherweight title. This seems like the pinnacle for her at this point, and anything else she achieves going forward is gravy.

We all wanted to see that rematch with Amanda Nunes in the UFC, but it not coming to fruition might have been for the best. Cyborg seems to be infinitely happier fighting in Bellator, and it sounds like she’s getting a healthy payday to be there.

Although the narrative is that Bellator has a deeper women’s 145-pound division than the UFC, having Cyborg at the top can make things look thin in a hurry. The fight with Budd was compelling for its layer of perceived competitiveness, and more matchups like that will be needed to hold interest in her title run.

4 biggest takeaways from Bellator 238: Darrion Caldwell impresses to set up A.J. McKee showdown