Leah McCourt was reminded throughout Bellator Champions Collection: London media day that her bout with Sara Collins is billed as a No. 1 contender battle. All she might do was roll her eyes – not actually, however you can hear it in her voice.
“Once more,” McCourt stated with a smirk Wednesday.
McCourt established herself as the ladies’s featherweight No. 1 contender final October when she completed Sara McMann by first-round TKO at Bellator 300. A couple of hours later that evening, 145-pound champion Cris Cyborg steamrolled previous Cat Zingano to retain her title. Afterward, McCourt was introduced within the cage for a faceoff to make it official – or maybe “official” (air quotes).
As a result of right here we’re nearly a 12 months later, and Cyborg is making ready to satisfy PFL champion Larissa Pacheco on Oct. 19 in a pay-per-view superfight because the co-main occasion to the “Battle of the Giants” betweem Francis Ngannou and Renan Fereira.
“Who is aware of what I’ll should do?” McCourt stated. “I already confronted off in opposition to her. It was meant to occur so many occasions, so until I’m within the cage together with her, that’s after I’ll imagine it’s occurring.”
With the Cyborg battle nonetheless only a dream, McCourt (8-3) is targeted on undefeated Collins (5-0), whom she meets Saturday within the Bellator London fundamental occasion. The battle was elevated to headline the cardboard after the middleweight title battle between Johnny Eblen and Fabian Edwards was scrapped final week.
“It’s clearly an honor, as a result of two females are headlining the cardboard at Wembley,” McCourt stated.
When she breaks down Collins, whose 5 profession wins embrace Bellator victories over Pam Sorenson and Sinead Kavanagh, McCourt believes the expertise issue performs out in her favor and may give her an edge on battle evening.
“I feel the expertise of all the time being thrown into the deep finish, all the time being pushed on the cardboard, fundamental occasion undoubtedly helps,” McCourt stated. “I don’t understand how she offers with stress or how she handles it, however I undoubtedly really feel the profit this week as a result of it simply looks like enterprise as typical.”
McCourt continued, “She’s extraordinarily robust. She’s proven that she will be able to hold with totally different kinds of fighters, however I feel she’s not used to the type of tempo or stress I carry. Numerous my fights are fairly high-paced. I feel it’s totally different to her, particularly on battle evening while you’re ready round as the principle occasion. It’s further stress that’ll play into my arms.”
McCourt needs nothing greater than to battle for the ladies’s featherweight title. Assuming a victory on Saturday does, certainly, actually and formally make her the No. 1 contender, she hopes that chance will come in opposition to Cyborg, who’s going through a tricky process in Pacheco subsequent month.
“Ideally if I used to be combating for the title, it could be in opposition to Cyborg,” McCourt stated. “She’s the very best of all time. She’s the largest title. She’s fought everybody. She’s gained all of the belts. I simply all the time imagine there’s a technique to beat anybody you’re up in opposition to. I imagine my staff and my coaching companions, we’d discover a technique to win.”
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