“Cyborg” Is Another Big Favorite
The second of back-to-back Bellator events in Hawaii features another rematch as Cristiane Justino a.k.a. “Cyborg” against Arlene Blencowe. Cyborg made short work of Blencowe in their first bout so it’s no surprise to expect a similar result as Cyborg enters this rematch as a 9-1 favorite per their Bellator MMA odds.
Arguably Still The Best Women’s Fighter: Cyborg
Cyborg, the current reigning Bellator featherweight champion, has dominated women’s MMA for over 15 years. Other than her loss to Amanda Nunes, Cyborg has destroyed every fighter put in front of her from the likes of Holly Holm to Marloes Coenen (twice).
Known mostly for her ultra-aggressive striking style, Cyborg has won 20 of her 25 victories via knockout. However, in her last bout against Blencowe, she showed she’s also a fluent grappler. We’re talking about being a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a two-time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion here.
Wherever the fight goes, Cyborg usually has the advantage. And even at 36, she’s still a popular bet online. She may not be as aggressive or powerful as she used to be, but she’s fought more efficiently and has a lot more high-level experience than her peers.
What Does Blencowe Offer Now?
Aptly nicknamed “Angerfist”, Arlene Blencowe is one tough customer. At 5’6”, she is built like a truck and hits like one. Half of her wins have come via knockout including three of her last four fights in Bellator other than against Cyborg.
However, Blencowe needs to have made significant improvements to her grappling if she hopes to turn the tables on Cyborg. She got exposed in the first fight as she was defenseless once Cyborg took her to the mat.
On her feet, Blencowe has a chance to land a good one on Cyborg and hurt her. But the champion is no sitting duck and will not take chances. It’s been 18 months since she last fought Cyborg. Any improvements to her grappling, particularly her defensive wrestling, will come a long way. If you want to gamble on that, Blencowe is +550 on the online sportsbook.
Cyborg vs Blencowe 2 Head-to-Head
The last time Cristiane Cyborg fought Arlene Blencowe, the former took the latter down and submitted her. Cyborg dominated Blencowe on the mat until she locked in a rear-naked choke halfway into the second round for the finish.
Cyborg vs Blencowe 2 Fight Information
- Fight: Cyborg (c) (25-2-0) vs Blencowe 2 (15-8-0)
- Location: Neal S. Blaisdell Center
- Day/Time: Saturday, April 23, 8:00 p.m. ET
- Live stream: Bellator Live
Cyborg vs Blencowe 2 Betting Lines
Cyborg vs Blencowe 2 Prediction
It’s tough to justify betting on a favorite at -900 even if it is Cyborg. But it would be irresponsible to recommend betting on Arlene Blencowe as well. Cyborg should be able to beat Blencowe some time in the first three rounds whether she keeps the fight standing or takes her down.
Knowing how logical Cyborg is as a fighter, she will likely take Blencowe down. We expect Blencowe to better defend against Cyborg’s grappling so she may last a bit longer. However, the result will be the same. Take the over 1½ rounds though as Cyborg will take her time chipping away at Blencowe.
