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Sara McMann hopes to win Bellator title, ideally against Cris Cyborg: ‘It’s a little more special’
HONOLULU – Sara McMann is fully focused on her Bellator debut, but there is an end game to this new journey.
McMann (13-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has set her sight on the Bellator women’s featherweight title now that she’s on the verge of starting a career with her new promotion after leaving the UFC in late 2022. The Olympic silver medalist in wrestling and former UFC title challenger is set to debut this Friday against Arlene Blencowe at Bellator 294 at Neal S. Blaisdell Arena.
The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Cris Cyborg was the last person to hold the Bellator women’s featherweight title. She fought out her Bellator contract in April of last year, but is expected to re-sign. McMann hopes that it’s Cyborg who’s champion when she gets to belt.
“I stay pretty narrowly focused because I don’t like to put the cart before the horse, so all of my concentration has really been on Arlene, but truthfully, I think that I would love to get it from Chris (Cyborg),” McMann told reporters at Wednesday’s Bellator 294 media day. “I just feel like if you’re gonna fight, and you want to do this, and you want to be a champion, such a long-standing champion, like it’s a little more special overcoming the toughest people. So for me, that’s what I would want in my heart, but I haven’t put a lot of thought into it.”
McMann’s debut against Blencowe (15-9 MMA, 8-5 BMMA) will be contested at featherweight. Not only is did she switch promotions, but also weight classes, as she was previously competing at 135 pounds.
McMann expects to show an improved version on Friday night with the switch in divisions.
“So I never felt drained, and I never felt too tired (at 135 pounds), but I know that when I was commanding my body to execute, I don’t always feel like it was executing as well or as fast or as crisp as I wanted to,” McMann explained. “And I did worry, I’m like, ‘Ok, this has to be fixed by the time I have a 135-pound title fight because it goes in the deeper rounds. But now, being at 145, that weight is lifted off my shoulders and I feel like more excited about even going into the deeper rounds.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 294.
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