Just three weeks after the UFC crows its inaugural women’s featherweight champion, Bellator will do the same.
Women’s MMA pioneer Marloes Coenen (23-7 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) and Canadian standout Julia Budd (9-2 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) will clash for the145-pound title at Bellator 174 on March 3. The event takes place at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla., and it airs on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.
Bellator officials today announced the matchup following an initial report from MMAFighting.com.
The booking marks the second time Bellator has attempted to put the fight together. The first was targeted for Bellator 155 in May 2016, but Budd suffered an injury on short notice.
Alexis Dufresne stepped in and replaced Budd in a non-title affair. Dufresne missed weight by 4.7 pounds, but she pulled off the stunning upset and became just the second fighter to submit Coenen when she secured a triangle-armbar combination in the first round.
Coenen, 35, was slated to fight Talita Nogueira at Bellator 163 in November, but the fight was scrapped on weigh-in day when Nogueira came in more than five pounds overweight, and putting Coenen in another fight against a heavy opponent was considered a non-option.
Budd, 33, meanwhile, has been operating in a much more low-key role since her Bellator debut in February 2015. She’s put together three consecutive decision victories with the promotion, most recently beating Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 162 in October.
“The Jewel” has won seven straight fights overall and hasn’t suffered a loss since a 39-second submission defeat to Ronda Rousey under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner in November 2011.
The Coenen vs. Budd title bout marks the first time in promotional history that a Bellator card will be headlined by a women’s fight.
For more on Bellator 174, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.
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