Bellator featherweight champion Cris Cyborg scored another win as she defeated Australian Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 279 in Hawaii.
The fight is the pair’s second meeting. In the first, Cyborg won in the second-round via a submission in October 2020, and she duly closed out the second. The 36-year-old won again, but it is the first time she has had to go to the judges in order to secure a win during her tenure in the franchise.
Blencowe, three years her opponent’s senior, was sent to the canvas in the first round after a heavy right-hander from Cyborg, but the title holder was penalised with a point deduction after an illegal knee to the head, which gave Blencowe respite to recover.
She continued with her aggressive style and landed 141 blows compared to Blencowe’s 67, and won 49-45 on each of the three scorecards.
Cyborg spoke after the fight, calling for big fights including names such as Amanda Nunes, the featherweight champion at the rival UFC organisation, as well as PFL lightweight belt holder Kaylor Harrison.
"I'm just looking for the biggest fights," she stated.
"I don't care if it's going to be Cat Zingano, or Amanda Nunes or Kayla Harrison. I don't know. I just want big fights for my fans."