Bellator 224: Julia Budd explains why she's willing to give up 100 pounds to fight Gabi Garcia

Steven Muehlhausen

Bellator 224: Julia Budd explains why she's willing to give up 100 pounds to fight Gabi Garcia image

Right now, Julia Budd is at the top of her game.

The Bellator women's featherweight champion has won 10 consecutive fights and looks to make the third defense of her title on Friday night in the Bellator 224 headliner against Olga Rubin, streamed exclusively on DAZN. 

Budd, 36, is regarded as one of the top women's featherweights in the world alongside current UFC 145-pound titleholder Amanda Nunes and Cris "Cyborg" Justino. With Justino on the verge of free agency after her fight at UFC 241 later this month, there is the possibility of a Budd-Cyborg showdown in Bellator. But if the Canadian has her way, there's a clash with another imposing fighter that she'd like to try on.

"I really want to fight Gabi Garcia," Budd told DAZN during a recent interview. "That’s a fantasy match for me.  It might happen. Stay tuned."

 

 

Budd (12-2) would be giving up nearly 100 pounds, as she's fought her whole career at 145 pounds, while Garcia has entered a bout weighing in as much as 237 pounds.

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Why take the risk facing someone who is significantly bigger than you when you're at the top of your game?

"Just the size difference and just getting in there and being able to fight somebody that much bigger than me and being able to put my skills against someone (like Garcia)," Budd said. "My husband back in the day when there was no weight classes, he was fighting guys 100 pounds heavier than him. When we were talking about it (fighting Garcia), I’m like, ‘That would be amazing to test myself and fight someone 100 pounds heavier than me and get in there and do that.' That’s one of my goals going forward."

Garcia's (6-0, one no-contest) had six of her seven fights under the Rizin promotion based in Japan. Typically, cross-promotional bouts of this magnitude are difficult to make. In this case, it shouldn't be a problem as the two companies have worked together in the past. Most recently, they booked two bouts featuring Rizin and Bellator bantamweight champion Kyoji Horiguchi (Rizin) and Darrion Caldwell (Bellator) under each company's banner. 

Those events have Budd optimistic that she will eventually lock horns with the Brazilian giant.

"I just saw on June 14 (Bellator 222), Rizin and Bellator (work together)," Budd said. "And that’s exciting to me. Maybe a fight in Rizin (with Garcia) as well. I like that they support one another and they let their champs go back and forth."

Steven Muehlhausen

Steven Muehlhausen Photo

Steven Muehlhausen is a contributing writer for DAZN News. He writes features and news stories, and provides analysis relating to the world of boxing. Over the past five years, he has interviewed some of the biggest names in combat sports, including Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Bill Goldberg.