UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Julia Budd wants her title back.
The former Bellator women’s featherweight champion is out to earn a rematch with Cris Cyborg in hopes to reclaim her belt. Budd (13-3 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) plans on making a statement in her first fight since losing the title at Friday’s Bellator 244 event.
The 37-year-old Budd takes on Jessica Miele in the night’s co-headliner.
“I never look past any opponent. You never underestimate anyone, so I’m ready for Friday night,” Budd told MMA Junkie. “I’m ready to go out there and put on an amazing show and showcase who I am as a mixed martial artist. And after that, we’ll see what they decide, but with the statement I plan on making, yeah, (a fight with Cris Cyborg) will be next.”
Budd’s defeat to Cyborg in January marked her first defeat since losing to former UFC champion Ronda Rousey back in 2011 under the Strikeforce banner, breaking an 11-fight winning streak.
Budd admits the loss stung, but she’s now using her short coming as motivation.
“It drives me,” Budd said. “It went from being really disappointing to something that is motivating for me. I can actually go back and look at it from a technical standpoint where I made some errors and get better from that.
“I’d say it took a little bit of time. I had to reevaluate and see what I wanted, and I just want to get back to the cage. I think I was messaging them (Bellator) two weeks after. So it took me a little bit, and after two weeks we checked out the footage. I was like, I see where I made some big mistakes that night and some little mistakes that cost me. And from here, I look forward to getting in there and showcasing my skills.”