Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
Bloody Elbow is the place to be for live results and full play-by-play of Bellator 238: Budd vs. Cyborg
Join us tonight (Saturday, January 25th) on Bloody Elbow for live results and detailed play-by-play as Bellator 238 delivers the biggest women’s featherweight title fight in the promotion’s history.
The headliner for the card is a title fight between inaugural champion Julia Budd and former UFC, Strikeforce and Invicta champion Cris Cyborg.
The main card kicks off on DAZN at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. You can watch the prelims right here Bloody Elbow starting 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m PT.
Join us and let us know what you think of tonight’s fights.
Main Card (10 pm. ET/7 p.m. PT)
Julia Budd vs. Cris Cyborg
Round 1 – Here we go! Cyborg putting that jab out there a lot. A nice front kick to the body for Cyborg. Budd throws a strike. Cyborg pushes Budd to the cage. The champ turns Cyborg over and puts her against the fence. Nice double unders by the Canadian. Foot stomps by the featherweight champ. Cyborg gets an arm in and peels away from the clinch. Back to the center we go. A one-two by Budd, Cyborg engages and takes Budd down. Cyborg tries to step over to mount, Budd blocks it and uses the momentum to turn to her knees. Both women are back up, Budd pushes Cyborg against the cage. Nice back-and-forth early. A high pace from both women. Thus far, Budd is going toe-to-toe with Cyborg. Now Budd is against the cage. Halfway through round number one. Cyborg with the double unders. Both women exchange knees to the body. A strong knee to the body by Cyborg followed by an elbow. Cyborg with hooks, Budd with straight shots. Cyborg slips, Budd jumps into guard and finds herself in a triangle choke! big elbows from Cyborg on the bottom. Budd does a nice job of stacking Cyborg but the former UFC champ switches to an armbar. Budd circles and manages to escape the armbar. Side control now. Budd in north-south throwing shots. Cyborg turns to her kneesand Budd grabs a neck. Budd throws a knee to Cyborg’s head while the latter is down on both knees. The referee immediately stops. Budd apologizes, Cyborg accepts. Unfortunately for Budd, she loses the advantageous position. Back to the action. Cyborg presses forward and drops Budd with a straight right! Budd seemed to be off balance. Cyborg follows Budd to the ground, but the Canadian does a good job of tying things up. Cyborg throws hard kicks to the leg and dive in for one big shot before the round ends. Wow, my hands are tired from typing. That knock down stole an otherwise competitive round. (10-9 Cyborg).
Round 2 – Cyborg starts round two with a lot of aggression. Budd falls to her back off the pressure. Cyborg clocks her on the way up. Cyborg gets the clinch and presses the champ against the cage. Mike Beltran warns Cyborg for grabbing the fence. The two women break and are back to center. Straight right lands for Budd. Leg kick lands for Budd. Lunging body shots cracks for Cyborg. The Brazilian has the Canadian back against the cage. Cyborg starts throwing heavy leather although Budd does well to weather the storm. Cyborg again has Budd against the cage. The crowd is getting lippy. Back to the center we go. Budd feints her way forward. Leg kick for Budd. Huge leg kick by Cyborg spins Budd around. Push kick by Budd. Cyborg counters with an outside leg kick. Budd presses Cyborg against the cage but the position is quickly reversed. Cyborg opens up with huge knees and elbows. Muay thai clinch and some nice knees by Cyborg. Budd is uber tough. The Canadian with more push kicks. A straight lands for Budd. The Canadian shoots in for the single leg. Cyborg peppers her with shots. Cyborg lands a CLEVER knee as Budd abandons the single leg. Round two over. (10-9 Cyborg, 20-18 overall for Cyborg).
Round 3 – Budd’s husband, and head coach, urges his fighter (and wife) to show more confidence. Cyborg punches her way into a clinch. Budd reverses the position and gets Cyborg against the cage. Cyborg reverses the position. A nice little elbow on the inside by Budd. The featherweight champ reverses the position again. She reaches down for a double leg before switching to a single. Budd tries to hook the leg but Cyborg is privy to it. Now Cyborg back in control, she breaks and lands a nice shot. Jab lands for Budd. Cyborg dodges the push king. Cyborg sort of fakes the blitz and lands a thudding leg kick. Cyborg barrels Budd down and secures top oposition. Two minutes left and Cyborg is in guard. Cyborg steps up and lands a big ole punch on Budd. The Canadian throws up-kicks, Cyborg counters with leg kicks. Back into Budd’s guard we go. Cyborg again stands up and reigns strikes. Budd pushes against Cyborg’s hips. Josh Thomson is calling for Budd to work to her feet, but she seems content to lay on her back. Cyborg drops down into side control and starts working towards the mount. Big elbows to Budd’s body. Cyborg is framing off Budd’s face. Cyborg teases the arm-triangle, settles for more body-elbows. Cyborg gets the knee on belly with 10 seconds left. Cyborg in mount reigning mortar strikes! Budd covers up until time rounds out. (10-9 Cyborg).
Round 4 – Some might consider that third round a 10-8 based on positional control. I’ll give Budd the pass since she didn’t absorb much damage beyond those closing seconds. The Canadian will surely need a finish to retain her title. A slow start to round four, not much action thirty seconds in. Cyborg starts unleashing! Budd is backed against the cage. Cyborg is not letting up! Huge body kick drops Budd. Referee steps in, Cyborg celebrates. A new Bellator champion is crowned.
Cris Cyborg def. Julia Budd via TKO at 1:14 of round 4
Darrion Caldwell vs. Adam Borics
Round 1 – Borics opens with a leg kick but Caldwell slides out of the way. Caldwell leaping in and out, maintaining distance from the explosive Borics. Caldwell throwing all sorts of creative strikes, including a whiffed flying knee en route to scoring a takedown. Borics locks up a guillotine from guard, but it’s light on the sauce. Caldwell pushes Borics’ against the cage. Borics uses the fence to start standing up. Caldwell stops Borics at his knees by lacing a leg and taking the back. Wow, Caldwell has one of Borics’ hand wrapped around his own body. He smashes his free arm against Borics’ chin and lands straight into a tight rear-naked choke. Caldwell uses the other arm to sink it in. Borics taps! A nice backflip for Caldwell. Classic stuff.
Darrion Caldwell def. Adam Borics via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:20 of round 1
Juan Archuleta vs. Henry Corrales
Round 1 – Archuleta bounces around the outside. Corrales takes the center. No shots thrown 45-seconds in. Archuleta bounces in and lands an inside leg kick. Archuleta seems content to fight at range. Corrales throws a kick, Archuleta catches it and lunges forward. Nice shot lands for Archuleta, Corrales counters. Nice leg kick lands for Corrales. Archuleta steps in with a multi-shot combination, but Corrales lands a nice counter. Both men swing big and miss big. Both men are doing a good job of ducking, weaving and sliding away from shots. Two nice inside leg kicks by Archuleta. The crowd is starting to get a little restless. Archuleta keeps going for the step-in uppercut but Corrales is reading it well. Corrales steps forward, Archuleta goes for the single leg. Corrales fights it off, both men throw shots. Things are getting wild in the closing seconds. Winging blows partially land for both men. That is the end of round one. A high-five. (10-9 Archuleta)
Round 2 – Another slow start to round number two. Archuleta again on the outside. Corrales with the forward pressure. Archuleta rushes forward with a three-shot combination that partially lands. Archuleta steps in but is greeted with Corrales’ fist. Corrales tries to close the distance but Archuleta’s power keeps him at bay. Corrales steps in and Archuleta gets behind him. Archuleta wraps Corrales around the waist and presses him against the fence. Corrales wiggles free. That did not last long. The crowd again getting restless in the closing minute of the round. Corrales steps in, Archuleta gets the angle and lands a nice cross. Corrales scores a single leg take down in the final seconds. Both men start throwing wild shots. The round ends and these dudes are still swinging wild. The referee is forced to throw his body between them to finally break things up. (10-9 Archuleta, 20-18 overall for Archuleta)
Round 3 – A rush to start and a wild kick thrown, missed. Archuleta slips amidst the chaos but quickly hops to his feet. Archuleta lands a nice punch. Corrales lands a nice right hand that backs Archuleta up. Another one has the beautiful beard running the other way. Inside leg kick by Archuleta. The commentators are asking for more combos from Corrales. The fighter in the red gloves is starting to turn up the pace. The referee calls time for a brief moment but we are back underway. Jab to an outside leg kick for Corrales. A jab lands for Archuleta. Corrales with a leg kick. The crowd again expressing their discontent in the final 60 seconds. Big straight for Archuleta. He briefly wraps Corrales’ head but nothing on it. 15 seconds left. Both men open up a little. This is finally turning into the brawl people expected. That is a wrap. (10-9 Corrales, 29-28 overall for Archuleta)
Juan Archuleta def. Henry Corrales via decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Sergio Pettis vs. Alfred Khashakyan
Round 1 – The two men take the first 15 seconds to feel each other out. Khashakyan paws with a double jab but Pettis stays out of the way. Nice front kick to the body for Khashakyan. He lands another kick to Pettis but the latter grabs the foot and throws a punch. Inside leg kick for Pettis. Nice punch lands for Khashakyan. Good overhand right for Pettis. Khashakyan throws a head kick but Pettis blocks with both arms. Both men fire off but Pettis gets the better of the exchange. Blood pouring from the nose of Khashakyan. A nice right hook lands on Pettis’ head but he immediately lands a counter punch that drops Khashakyan hard. Pettis swarms and lands big punches, but the referee is giving Khashakyan all the chances to escape. Pettis in mount firing big shots. Pettis locks up a quick-guillotine — not unlike his brother Anthony — and pulls guard. It is super tight. Pettis rolls over to mount, guillotine still sunk in. Khashakyan is out cold! What a performance by Pettis.
Sergio Pettis def. Alfred Khashakyan via technical submission (guillotine) at 3:00 of round 1
Raymond Daniels vs. Jason King
Round 1 – Daniels immediately with a side kick that pushes King to the floor. Daniels is moving all over the place. He throws a spinning heel kick that whiffs. King gets a hold of Daniels 45 seconds into the round. Presses him against the cage. Daniels reverses position. Daniels eats a knee to the family jewels inside the clinch. Daniels is button-mashing at this point (to quote Marc Raimondi). Nice jumping spinning kick to the body lands. A long one-two drops King. A follow-up shot drops King again. Daniels is playing games standing. King almost grabs his legs but Daniels lands a spinning heel kick that crushes King. Another shot and King is down. Daniels bows and waits for King to stand up, but King looks very badly hurt. His head is just bobbing back and forth as Daniels waits at a distance. They tangle up and King starts hunting a leg lock, but Daniels just pounds him into oblivion. Fight over. King is still down.
Raymond Daniels def. Jason King via TKO at 3:07 of round 1
Ava Knight vs. Emilee King
Round 1 – King immediately tries for some side kicks to Knight’s mid-section. Knight cracks King with a punch and it stuns her. King immediately lunges for a grappling exchange and grabs her opponent’s neck in the scramble. King quickly makes her way to mount and has a guillotine wrapped. Knight stays calm and eventually escapes the guillotine, but King maintains mount and hunts for an Americana. Wow, King quickly transitions to an armbar but Knight works her way out and lands in top guard. King throws up a quick triangle and sweeps Knight over. Now King has the back and his hunting for a rear-naked choke. She has it around the neck and it is deep. Knight goes to sleep! Knight is immediately conscious but no protest on the stoppage.
Emilee King def. Ava Knight via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:18 of round 1
Preliminary Card (7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT)
Joshua Jones def. Brandon Bender via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 29-27)
Aaron Pico def. Daniel Carey via knockout at 0:15 of round 2
AJ Agazarm def. Adel Altamimi via submission (triangle choke) at 1:22 of round 3
Jay-Jay Wilson def. Mario Navarro via submission (armbar) at 2:48 of round 2
Curtis Millender def. Moses Murrietta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Anthony Taylor def. Chris Avila via majority decision (28-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Miguel Jacob def. David Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-27)
Ricardo Seixas vs. Dominic Clark
Tony Bartovich vs. Jarrett Connor