Bellator 202: “Budd vs Nogueira” comes to WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma on July 13, 2018. The main event that night will see Julia Budd (11-2) defend her Bellator Featherweight title against Talita Nogueira (7-0) live on Paramount Network.
After becoming the inaugural champion at Bellator 174 last year, Budd received quite a scare in her first title defense as she retained the title by split decision against Arlene Blencowe. Perhaps in hindsight it wasn’t so surprising given the first time she faced Blencowe she won by majority decision.
Nevertheless after defeating Blencowe in two very close contests, it’s time to move on to a new opponent, and Talita Nogueira is eager to be her challenger. She earned her shot with a tight rear naked choke in the first round at Bellator 182 that Budd would NOT like to find herself in.
Today Julia “The Jewel” Budd talks to MMA Mania about preparing for the submission skills of a 2011 World Jiu-Jitsu Champion while reflecting on how it feels to have already made one title defense.
“You know what? I feel awesome. It’s been an awesome training camp. I was happy walking away with the victory after that fight, and I look forward to putting on a good show Friday night.”
What was going through her mind when the scorecards were read last December though? Did Budd think she had a dominant performance in that second Blencowe fight?
“I expected a tough fight, but after watching the fight I thought I lost one of the five rounds and another one could have gone either way. You know you never know who you’re going to get as judges on the sidelines. I’ve seen her as well some of her past fights where she’s come away with the win because she comes forward, she comes forward the whole time. To a boxing judge or to judges like that it looks like she’s winning the fight.”
That experience speaks to the old saying “never leave it to the judges” so I asked Budd if she had a plan to keep that from happening against Nogueira.
“From the minute that first bell goes I’m prepared for everything. I’m prepared for the ground, I’m prepared to really push it, and you know just give it my all. I don’t see it going to the judges this time at all. The whole time I’ve been visualizing this fight, it always ends before the third round.”
Budd is giving up both height (5’8” to 5’10”) and reach (67” to 70”) to the challenger on Friday night, but “The Jewel” says this is something she’s long been accustomed to.
“Oh you know what? I’m ready for it. Most of the girls that I’ve fought have been taller, or longer reach, or longer legs, doesn’t matter. I’m ready for anything.”
If “never leave it to the judges” is a MMA cliche then so is “everyone is the same height when they’re taken down.” She can win standing with kickboxing, clinch for dirty boxing, or take opponents down at will. That said a BJJ world champion isn’t someone most fighters want to go to the mat with.
“That was the other thing too. When we were preparing for Marloes (Coenen), with 17 wins by submission and somebody like that, we’ve been adapting my game for dangerous submission people for my entire career I feel like. A lot of the times the girls that I fought in Invicta you could say they had better ground game than me as well, so I’m making sure that I can use my wrestling to be effective and not get trapped into a lot of the things that they can pull off.”
Budd is a little nostalgic for the Invicta FC days and it’s not hard to blame her. An all women’s fighting card was a change of pace then and still uncommon today outside the Invicta fold.
“It was empowering you know? Like being down there with all these girls that are getting into the cage, it was just cool. It was cool to see and it was definitely great to be a part of that.”
Does Budd think Bellator could do the same thing and have an all women’s MMA event?
“Well they definitely could! They’ve got so much talent in the 145 division and the 125, and they’ve got a few 115 pound fighters, and yeah they could definitely put on an all women’s card.”
It might surprise you to hear though that Budd doesn’t consider herself the best women’s Featherweight in the world — but let’s let “The Jewel” explain that one.
“I would definitely be open to a (Cyborg) fight. I’ve been asked that. I’d be open to fight her for sure. I want the best challenges in the world, and I believe she’s no. 1 at 145 and I’m no. 2. I believe that she’s been the no. 1 at 145 (for a while) but we just haven’t had a chance to fight yet.”
Right now the only way for that to happen would be for an unhappy Cris Cyborg to leave the WME-IMG fold and try her luck in Bellator. For right now though Budd has to focus on her present Bellator opponent as well as possible future challengers.
“Sinead Kavanagh, and Arlene’s still up there for sure, and actually Kavanagh’s right below Talita, that would be an interesting fight in the future. And yeah my full focus is just on Talita right now, because I know she’s coming for what I have, and I’m so ready for this fight. I’m pumped.”
Hopefully you are too because it airs live and free on Paramount Network on July 13th — Bellator 202 from WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
Complete audio of our interview is embedded above, and complete coverage of “Budd vs. Nogueira” resides here at MMA Mania all week long.
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