Bellator 238 Results: Cyborg vs. Budd
Bellator 238 took place on January 25, 2020, at the Forum in Inglewood, California. Cris Cyborg stopped Julia Budd in round four to win the women’s featherweight championship in her Bellator debut. Darrion Caldwell advanced in the featherweight grand prix, and Sergio Pettis also began his Bellator career with a submission win.
Cris Cyborg’s Historic Win
Cyborg defeated Budd by technical knockout at 1:14 of round four. The win added the Bellator featherweight championship to her previous titles in Strikeforce, Invicta FC and the UFC. Her debut therefore ended with a belt, rather than merely a successful non-title introduction to the promotion.
Other Notable Fights
The co-main event of the night was the Featherweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal between Darrion Caldwell and Adam Borics. Caldwell emerged victorious, securing his spot in the semifinals with a rear-naked choke submission in less than three minutes.
Sergio Pettis, another former UFC fighter, also made his Bellator debut at this event. He scored a first-round submission victory over Alfred Khashakyan, marking a successful start to his journey in Bellator.
Event Highlights
Aaron Pico, a promising young fighter, made a strong comeback by defeating Daniel Carey with a knockout punch in the second round. This victory was a much-needed boost for Pico, who had faced a series of losses in his previous fights.
Caldwell submitted Adam Borics with a rear-naked choke at 2:20 of round one, reaching the grand prix semifinals. Pettis used a guillotine choke to defeat Alfred Khashakyan at 3:00 of the opening round. Juan Archuleta also earned a unanimous decision over Henry Corrales on the main card.
Aaron Pico knocked out Daniel Carey at 0:15 of round two on the preliminaries. Together, the card’s results included a new champion, tournament advancement and successful debuts. Those were different achievements, even though each gave its winner a significant positive result.
Why the Event Mattered
Cyborg’s arrival immediately changed the championship, while Pettis’s debut was a non-title bantamweight win. Caldwell competed within the elimination structure of the featherweight grand prix. Keeping those stakes distinct clarifies why the same card mattered in several divisions for different reasons.
Sources
MMA Fighting: Bellator 238 results; MMA Fighting: championship recap; Event results record.
Article Tags
Bellator, Bellator 238, Mixed Martial Arts
