Triple Take: Who was the biggest winner between UFC Raleigh and Bellator 238?
Saturday was another one of those wild and woolly MMA nights. The UFC and Bellator went head to head for the first time in 2020, with UFC on ESPN+ 24 and Bellator 238 going down on opposite coasts.
Plenty of stars shined on both shows, but who shined brightest? MMA Junkie’s Dave Doyle, Danny Segura, and Simon Samano sound off on who they think was the weekend’s biggest winner in the latest edition of Triple Take.
Without further ado …
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Dave Doyle: Cris Cyborg’s history-making performance the obvious choice
Full disclosure: As of this writing, I’ve yet to watch UFC Raleigh. I covered Bellator 238 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., late in the night, and Sunday was my off day.
But that said? Working cageside meant I got to see Cris Cyborg’s handiwork up close and personal, and I’m quite confident nothing I’ll see when I catch up with the UFC show could convince me that anyone other than Cyborg was the weekend’s biggest winner.
We’re on the back end of MMA’s third decade, and as the sport becomes more established and entrenched, history-making moments become fewer and further between.
Saturday night was one of those nights, and Cyborg lived up to the moment. By finishing Julia Budd, she became the first fighter, regardless of gender, to win championships in four separate major promotions, all in the same weight class, 10-plus years apart.
But it’s not just the fact she got the job accomplished: It was how she did it. Budd’s a legit talent who has ruled over a Bellator women’s featherweight division that is deeper than the UFC’s version. Cyborg never let Budd get untracked. Cyborg has evolved as a fighter over the years, one capable of going into deep waters. The combination of ferocity and pinpoint accuracy Cyborg displayed in finishing Budd in the fourth round was the type of display she used to put on in the opening minutes of fights during her early days.
An all-time great adding to her legacy and creating history in the process? Yeah, I’ll take that over anything else either card could possibly serve up.
Next page – Danny Segura: Michael Chiesa is quickly becoming a threat welterweight
Triple Take: Who was the biggest winner between UFC Raleigh and Bellator 238?
