Bellator 279 results, highlights: Cris Cyborg outpoints Arlene Blencowe to retain title in rematch

Cyborg got a bit more fight out of her opponent in the rematch as the two went the distance in Hawaii.

Cris Cyborg is still the Bellator women's featherweight champion. Cyborg largely dominated an extremely durable Arlene Blencowe over the course of 25 minutes at Bellator 279 in Honolulu, Hawaii, but it wasn't without its bits of drama.

The first round played out much like a replay of the 2020 clash between the two women, which Cyborg won by rear-naked choke in the second round. After hurting Blencowe on the feet, Cyborg took the challenger down and looked to take the back and sink in a choke once again. The submission in the first fight was Cyborg's lone career submission victory.

A tactical error from the champion helped Blencowe off the hook, with Cyborg throwing a knee to the head while Blencowe was technically a downed opponent. That led to a point deduction for Cyborg and somewhat blunted the dominant opening frame.

Blencowe proved tough, continuing to fight back even as the punishment from Cyborg piled up. By the midway point of the fight, Blencowe was sporting a sizable cut over her left eye that seemed a threat to force the fight to be stopped. Instead, Blencowe managed to guard the cut and her corner did well to stifle the bleeding.

Cyborg peppered Blencowe's lead leg with kicks and mixed in sharp jabs and the occasional head kick to keep Blencowe guessing on where the next strike would come from.

Despite the onslaught, Blencowe scored something of a moral victory, lasting to the final bell where Cyborg was given the victory by scores of 49-45 across the board, marking the fourth successful defense of her championship.

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Saturday's card also kicked off the quarterfinals of the Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix. Underdog Patchy Mix surprised Kyoji Horiguchi with immaculate back takes that earned him three rounds in a competitive five-round clash. Also in the tournament, Raufeon Stots emerged as the new interim bantamweight champion after stopping Juan Archuleta with a wicked head kick.

CBS Sports was with you throughout the evening for the latest updates, highlights and results with our live blog below.

Bellator 279 card, results

• Cris Cyborg (c) def. Arlene Blencowe via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45)
• Raufeon Stots def. Juan Archlueta via third-round knockout (head kick and punches)
• Justine Kish def. Ilima-Lei Macfarlane via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Patchy Mix def. Kyoji Horiguchi via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)
• Yancy Medeiros def. Emmanuel Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

[Apr 24, 2022 at 1:30 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Official result: Cris Cyborg def. Arlene Blencowe via unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45) and successfully defended her Bellator women's featherweight championship. Cyborg made the fourth consecutive defence of her title and extends her winning streak to six.

[Apr 24, 2022 at 1:28 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe -- Round 5: Cyborg found even more success with the front kick in the closing stanza. A spinning head kick partially landed for Cyborg. Blencowe responded with a spinning body kick. Cyborged bloodied Blencowe up with repeated combinations to the dome. Blencowe persevered, becoming the first woman in Bellator history to go five full rounds with Cyborg. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Cyborg (49-45 overall for Cyborg)

[Apr 24, 2022 at 1:22 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe -- Round 4: A solid right hand landed for Blencowe. Blencowe caught Cyborg while off balance. Cyborg took Blencowe's back and suplexed her to the ground. Cyborg hunted repeatedly for the crucifix from side control but failed to secure it. She still managed to land nice elbows to the head and body. Blencowe made it to her feet without much resistance with 45 seconds left in the round. The two exchanged big shots to close the round with Cyborg landing repeated head kicks. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Cyborg (39-36 overall for Cyborg)

[Apr 24, 2022 at 1:15 am ET · Shakiel Mahjouri]

Cris Cyborg vs. Arlene Blencowe -- Round 3: The referee warned Blencowe to protect the nasty gash on her right eyebrow. Heavy leg kicks from Cyborg started to take a visible toll on Blencowe's lead leg. A front kick from Cyborg split her opponent's guard. A huge counter left hook from Blencowe knocked Cyborg off her feet. Cyborg was off balance but the punch had an impact. Cyborg landed nicely with a left jab and right hook. A straight right down the middle by the champ. Cyborg continued to find success with the right hook and leg kick. A nice overhand right and right body hook by Blencowe. Unofficial scorecard: 10-9 Cyborg (29-27 overall for Cyborg)