Canadian Budd savours Bellator win

Julia (The Jewel) Budd was more worried about her quality of life last year than fighting for a mixed martial arts title.

Two weeks after learning last April of a Bellator title shot, the 33-year-old from Port Moody, B.C., was sidelined by herniated discs in her back.

“I was in really rough shape for about six weeks there,” Budd recalled. “It was not even about fighting, we were just trying to heal up and make sure that I was able to walk and have a healthy life.

“I had kind of given up the thought of even fighting again because it was so painful and I didn’t know where that injury would lead us to.”

So painful that Budd had to lie in the back seat of the car to get to her chiropractor because she couldn’t sit up.

“That lasted five or six weeks and then I slowly felt stronger and stronger,” she said.

Budd started boxing and doing light training in mid-July. Amazingly she returned to action in October, winning a majority decision over Australian Arlene (Angerfist) Blencowe at Bellator 162.

That set the stage for the rescheduled featherweight title fight March 3 against Dutch veteran Marloes Coenen at Bellator 174 in Thackerville, Okla.

Budd (10-2-0) showed her strength early, taking Coenen down in the first round. The Dutch fighter proved prickly off her back at first, attempting submissions, but wore down and was battered by Budd on the ground in later rounds.

Referee John McCarthy stopped the onslaught at 2:42 of the fourth round.

Budd was Bellator’s inaugural 145-pound women’s champion.

The 35-year-old Coenen (23-80) announced her retirement in her post-fight interview in the cage. he five-foot-eight Budd has now won eight straight since losing to (Rowdy) Ronda Rousey in Strikeforce in November 2011. Her only other loss, also in Strikeforce, was to Amanda (Lioness) Nunes in January 2011.