Bellator 174 resulted in the addition of a new champion and the loss of a pioneer of women’s MMA. Julia Budd dominated Marloes Coenen for three rounds before finally finishing her in the fourth and winning the inaugural Bellator women’s featherweight title by TKO. “It’s been a long road,” Budd said. “I don’t think anyone thought it would get to this.” Coenen (23-8, 2-2 BMMA), the former Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion, announced her retirement in her post-fight interview after nearly 17 years as a professional mixed martial artist. Budd (10-2, 4-0 BMMA) opened the first round with a nice takedown, but it was Coenen who looked more comfortable on the ground.
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