Julia Budd Talks Bellator 202 Title Defense, 145-Division & Pro-Wrestling

Bellator MMA Women’s Featherweight Champion Julia Budd is defending the gold against Talita Nogueira in the main event of Bellator 202.

The champion is defending the gold against an undefeated challenger, but Budd is excited for the challenges that Nogueira will bring forth.

“I feel like I match up against her great, you know. We had a full training camp, I was supposed to fight her in 2015. So we had a full training camp before training for her and I’ve known about this fight since March. I just feel like I’ve been able to cover all of my bases, obviously I studied her before. I’m excited and I’m excited about the new challenge, she’s a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt…a world champion. I’m really excited because I get to test out all of my skills,” says Budd in an exclusive interview with Fightful’s James Lynch.

Budd and Nogueira were expected to fight twice before under the Bellator MMA banner, but both bouts were canned due to injuries.

If there was one thing that Budd wishes Bellator MMA would do, it would be to hold more events in her home country of Canada.

“I have no clue, but they should be in at least like Toronto or Montreal or somewhere there. BC (British Columbia) would be great to do it in as well, it would be cool to definitely fight in Canada…all my family would come. Oklahoma is cool to, this is my fourth time down there and all my family is coming this time,” says Budd.

Bellator 202 takes place on Friday, July 13 from the Winstar World Casino & Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma with Julia Budd and Talita Nogueira headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on the Paramount Network.