Bellator 294: Sara McMann defeats Arlene Blencowe in Bellator debut (Video)

Bellator 294: Sara McMann defeated Arlene Blencowe.

Sara McMann defeated Arlene Blencowe via unanimous decision (29-27, 30-27, 30-26), at Bellator 294 on Friday, April 21, 2023, live from the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu, Hawaii.

"I flashed for a second but I did that in the first two rounds. She hits hard. So it really didn't phase me," said McMann.

McMann went for a takedown after changing levels during a striking exchange. McMann controlled positioning and eventually took Blencowe's back. McMann got both of her hooks in and tried to get under Blencowe's chin for a submission. Blencowe did a good job defending and never gave McMann a chance to get a choke locked in.

McMann fainted with her right jab and immediately changed levels and landed another takedown. McMann transitioned from the back to the front, landing several strikes and applying pressure on Blencowe's neck with her shoulder. McMann transitioned again to side control and then full mount. Blencowe looked like she was going to escape back to her feet but McMann took her back and brought her back to the ground. Blencowe got back to her feet but McMann landed several knees and strikes before taking Blencowe down again.

Blencowe opened the third round with a massive right hand that hurt McMann. Blencowe attempted to chase McMann down but was unsuccess and was eventually taken down by McMann. After a brief struggle, Blencowe was able to return to her feet. McMann took Blencowe down again and was able to control the position and landed several elbows.

McMann made her Bellator debut on Friday night after nearly a decade with the UFC. In her 13 UFC fights, McMann went 7-6. With her victory, McMann's record improved to 14-6 and she immediately enters the Bellator featherweight title picture.

Blencowe entered Bellator 294 as the second-ranked featherweight after winning six of her previous nine fights. In her last fight, Blencowe fought for the featherweight title at Bellator 279, losing to Cris Cyborg. The loss to Cyborg was the second title fight Blencowe had lost to Cyborg and the third time she had lost a Bellator title in her previous nine fights after she lost to Julia Budd at Bellator 189. With her loss, Blencowe dropped to 15-10 but should remain near the top of Bellator's featherweight division.

Bellator 294: Liz Carmouche vs. DeAnna Bennett took place on Friday, April 21, 2023, live from Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.