Miesha Tate, Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena are just some of the females to pull upsets in MMA.

Arlene Blencowe is hoping to become the latest.

Blencowe challenges Cris Cyborg for the featherweight title Saturday night at Bellator 279. The bout headlines the Showtime card from Hawaii. 

“If anybody is an MMA fan, history has shown recently that major upsets are quite doable and achievable. Nobody would have thought that Julianna Peña would have beaten Amanda Nunes,” Blencowe said. “She was a major underdog too and look what she came out and did. She shocked the world. As an Australian, we love being an underdog.

“There’s been some big fights in history. I have teammates that have shocked the world and I’m ready to do that. I let a moment slip by in 2020 when I had the first opportunity, and I’m grateful that I’ve got the second. 

“I really do just have to be “Angerfist” and do what I do to my other opponents. Whenever I face somebody that’s ranked lower than me, I go out there and I’m aggressive because I want to cement my No. 1 ranking.”

Blencowe, who will be facing Cyborg for a second time, has climbed the rankings to the No. 1 spot. 

Now, she can complete her mission.

“Winning the belt would mean absolutely everything. That’s constantly what I keep reminding myself,” she said. “When you talk about having to dig deep inside the cage and those gritty moments, that’s at the forefront. Winning the Bellator world title has eluded me for the past five years and it’s what I want. It would be everything I want in my career. There won’t be a bigger moment than winning the Bellator world title.” 

 
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