It’s been a while since we’ve seen Julia Budd suit up in action for an MMA fight. To find the last time that the former Bellator MMA Women’s Featherweight Champion set foot inside of a cage, you’d have to travel back in time to the night of June 16, 2023.
That late spring evening, Budd (16-7 MMA), having already dropped her first fight in the 2023 PFL regular season a few months earlier by way of unanimous decision after three rounds to eventual 2023 PFL Women’s Featherweight Champion Larissa Pacheco (23-5 MMA), she needed to win against Martina Jindrova (6-5 MMA) to put herself in position to remain alive in the playoff chase for the summer. Results later down the card spelled the end of Julia Budd’s run for the 2023 PFL season.
Afterward, Budd had been scheduled to return to the PFL SmartCage over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend the following November for a showcase fight in PFL 10 versus Kayla Harrison, but the contest was scrubbed prior to the event due to her withdrawal from the card. Julia Budd was cut from the promotion not long after.
Julia Budd released from PFL after withdrawing from Kayla Harrison fight at 2023 PFL championships https://t.co/LvXiETOriZ
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) November 10, 2023
In her stead, Harrison fought Aspen Ladd in the showcase fight that autumn Friday night, besting her (unanimous decision) after 15 minutes of action. Kayla Harrison began her current three-fight winning streak with that contest
Julia Budd Ready to End Hiatus
Since that cancelled bout, Julia Budd has been waiting for her next chance to set foot in the cage. On Friday afternoon, she took her first step toward putting the past behind her.
With the new Global Fight League (GFL) set to hold its selection meeting for its inaugural season in a matter of weeks, the organization has spent time putting together its 300-fighter roster from which the six 20-member teams will be drafted. Budd has been named among the women to be signed to the GFL ahead of draft day.
Fights will be structured a little bit differently in the Global Fight League when compared to other MMA outlets throughout the world, with emphasis placed on avoiding drastic weight cuts before contests. Women will compete in the GFL in either strawweight (120 lbs), flyweight (130 lbs), or bantamweight (140 lbs) divisions. Each team will have two fighters from each of the 10 weight classes drafted during the selection meeting.
Julia Budd Can Make Waves in GFL
This new league could be just what Julia Budd needs to start a new winning streak in the sport of MMA. Going into the GFL draft at the end of this month, she currently has a 2-3 record over her last five fights. Ahead of Budd’s win over Jindrova, she was on a three-fight losing streak.
During that span, Julia Budd dropped fights to the likes of Genah Fabian, Aspen Ladd, and the aforementioned Larissa Pacheco. Before that, she went 4-1, holding the Bellator MMA Women’s Featherweight Championship in that process.
Budd served as the Bellator queen at 145 lbs for almost three full years, including a victory over Arlene Blencowe (16-10 MMA, 9-6 Bellator) in her first defense of the title in December of 2017 by way of split decision. It was Julia Budd’s second win over the fighter nicknamed “Angerfist”, having already beaten Blencowe by majority decision in October of 2016.
It All Comes Down to Draft Day for “The Jewel”
At the core, this phase of Julia Budd’s MMA career boils down to the events of Friday, Jan. 24, draft day in the GFL. Although 300 fighters have been signed to the league, just over a third of that number will hear their names called during the selection meeting.
Whether or not Budd is among the 120 fighters drafted to a GFL team remains to be seen. Even if Julia Budd finds herself on the outside looking in when it comes to the league, she’ll be able to test free agency in the aftermath of draft day.
At the same time, however, it would be borderline foolish for any team in this league to pass on Julia Budd when the draft rolls around in a few short weeks. Having a championship to her credit might be the spark that teams around the league look for.
