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Cris Cyborg defends title and legendary status at Bellator 279

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The sweatshirt featured just two words.

Profane? Without a doubt. Surprising? Sure, for a fighter of Cris Cyborg’s humble nature and devout Christianity.

But the apparel worn by Cyborg at a recent Bellator press conference in Los Angeles was less fashion statement and more statement of fact.

The featherweight champion looks to bolster her claim to being a “(bleeping) legend” when she takes on top-ranked Arlene Blencowe in the Bellator 279 main event Saturday in Honolulu.

The Brazilian powerhouse sheepishly pointed to her teenage daughter Gabriela – her niece whom she brought from Brazil in 2018 and has since adopted – for the, shall we say, wardrobe compunction as she used her hair to cover some of the message during the televised presser.

Then again, facts are facts. No female fighter has been as roundly feared and respected as the only one to win championships in Bellator, UFC, Invicta and Strikeforce.

“They say, ‘You want to say GOAT?’ And I say no. I’ll say there’s no way I can say that,” Cyborg, 36, said of declaring herself the Greatest Of All Time. “I mean, I’m a Grand Slam champion, right? Because it’s fact, right? There’s no opinion. …. I get four different belts in four different promotions. So what do legends do?”

After 17 years as a professional MMA fighter, Cyborg has racked up 25 victories — 20 by way of knockout and four unanimous decisions.

The one standout? Cyborg’s first and only triumph via submission, which came 18 months ago when she sunk in a rear-naked choke on Blencowe in the second round of their Bellator 249 title fight.

“You know, I train jiu-jitsu for a long time. Yeah, I like to finish by punches and during our fight together, I saw she felt my punches too,” Cyborg said. “So I want to finish the fight that way with strikes too, but then I say, ‘Nah, let’s do the takedown.’ And then you know, as we planned, it was worthwhile and we’re very happy for this first victory by submission.”

Since being cut by the UFC and signing with Bellator in 2019 in what was touted as the biggest contract in women’s MMA history, Cyborg has rattled off four consecutive wins in the promotion. In her debut, she became the 145-pound champion with a dominant four-round thrashing and TKO of Julia Budd at Bellator 238 on Jan. 25, 2020, at The Forum in Inglewood.

A potential matchup with former UFC bantamweight challenger Cat Zingano appeared promising before Zingano demurred. Instead, Blencowe was offered the rematch, which was a surprise to both fighters.

Blencowe (15-8) said at the Los Angeles press conference that she knows what she needs to do differently and looks forward to showing that Friday.

Cyborg (25-2, 1 NC) countered: “Yes, everybody have a plan: A, B, C … but first punch? I don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

For now, Cyborg continues to train at her gym in Huntington Beach while having made stops in former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo’s gym in Arizona and with Antonio McKee’s Team Body Shop in Long Beach.

Despite her years and years of grinding in rings and dojos, Cyborg values what it takes to become – and stay – great.

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“I think you have to improve your game. I think we always have to learn. People will study your game. You always have to learn something,” she said.

McKee, the father of recently dethroned Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee, raves about Cyborg’s determination and demeanor in her time training with him.

“She works her (butt) off. Her and A.J. work like horses. They don’t stop. You have to tell them to stop,” Antonio McKee said. “She’s smart. She’s tough. She’s strong. I would love to be able to see her fight anybody in the UFC at 145 pounds again to get to where she’s at now, right?

“She’s a beautiful person. Amazing woman. Can’t ask for more. All about God. Loyal, faithful, passionate, can cry on the drop of a dime. She’s a beautiful person.”

BELLATOR 279

Main event: Featherweight champion Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe

When: Saturday

Where: Neal S. Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu

How to watch: Prelims (5:30 p.m. PT, Bellator YouTube; Showtime Sports YouTube; Pluto TV); main card (7:30 p.m. PT, Showtime)

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