Roberts Creek’s Julia Budd is in the running for the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world featherweight title after a majority decision victory against Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 162 on Oct. 21 in Memphis, Tenn.
“I knew Arlene was a tough opponent going into it,” Budd said. “She’s a boxing world champion, so I knew it was going to be a tough fight but I used my kickboxing and my wrestling and my ground skills to beat her.”
Budd is back in the game after recovering from an injury earlier this year.
“I had to pull out of a fight in May because of a herniated disc in my back. So this just meant the world to me to overcome that and feel so good going into this fight.
“I’ve never felt as good in probably three years. It felt good to get in there and throw down,” Budd said.
It’s been almost a year since Budd’s previous fight against Roberta Paim Rovel, which she won with a unanimous decision last November. She said that getting back in the ring felt good, but she had to overcome some pre-fight nerves.
“Just dealing with the nerves beforehand with such a huge crowd in Memphis [was a challenge],” Budd said. “Once I was in there it was just like, ‘oh yeah, this is exactly what I’m born to do.’ But beforehand I definitely felt a lot of nerves and a lot of pressure because it was a title eliminator fight. Just that little worry that I wasn’t going to sink the win and get that world title opportunity that I’ve been dreaming about for so long.”
Budd is already looking forward to her next fight, which will likely be scheduled for the new year. Who she fights and when depends on the outcome of Bellator 163, when MMA veteran Marloes Coenen takes on Talita Nogueira on Nov. 4 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. Budd said she is 99 per cent certain that she will go toe-to-toe with Coenen, provided Coenen wins her next fight.
Budd’s next fight is at least a couple of months from now, but she’s eager to begin training for it.
“I might have a fracture in my foot right now,” she said. “I kicked [Blencowe’s] elbow in one of the rounds so I need to get that X-rayed and see how that is. Then basically get back to training as soon as possible.”
Many of Budd’s fans from the Sunshine Coast were very supportive and she said it meant a lot.
“I just want to give a big thank you – I felt huge support from the Sunshine Coast and I want to thank everybody,” Budd said. “I’m proud to come from there and I’m proud to represent on the world stage.”
She also thanked her teammates at Gibson MMA in Port Moody, where she trains.
