Bellator returned Friday night (March 3, 2017) with Bellator 174: Budd vs. Coenen. The card was live from the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, OK, and betting lines were made available at Several Bookmakers. In the main event of the evening, Strikeforce veteran Julia Budd defeated women’s MMA pioneer Marloes Coenen via TKO in the fourth round of action to become Bellator’s inaugural women’s featherweight champion. It was an impressive and dominant performance by Budd, who made history with the victory. Budd closed at a -165 betting favorite, while Coenen failed to cash at +140 and announced her retirement from the sport following the defeat. In the co-main event, Fernando Gonzalez defeated Brandon Girtz by unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards following three rounds of action. Gonzalez cashed out at -160 and Girtz missed at +140. The other two original main card bouts were cancelled because fighters failed to make weight.
