Canadian featherweight Julia (The Jewel) Budd will face Jessy (The Widowmaker) Miele on Aug. 21 in the co-main event of Bellator 244.

It’s the first fight for the 37-year-old from Port Moody, B.C., since January when she lost her featherweight title to Cris Cyborg at Bellator 238.

The main event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., sees two-division Bellator champion Ryan (Darth) Bader (27-5-0 with one no contest) defend his light-heavyweight title against Russia’s Vadim Nemkov (11-2-0).

Bader also holds the Bellator heavyweight championship.

Budd (13-3) had not lost since November 2011, running up a 11-fight win streak prior to facing Cyborg. She is 7-1-0 since signing with Bellator in 2015.

The 35-year-old Miele (9-3) has won four straight and five of her last six. She was slated to meet Leslie Smith at Bellator 241 before the card was cancelled due to the global pandemic.

Lightweight Lance Gibson Jr., Budd’s stepson, takes on Shane Kruchten on the undercard.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2020.

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