Collins stuns McCourt at Bellator Champions Series

Australia's Sara Collins stunned Northern Ireland's Leah McCourt pinch a first information decorativeness astatine nan Bellator Champions Series successful London.

Collins, 34, dropped McCourt pinch a correct hook earlier submitting nan 31-year-old via a rear-naked choke.

The victory, which hushed nan crowd astatine OVO Arena Wembley, sees Collins go nan number 1 contender for Cris Cyborg's featherweight title.

“Cyborg, I’m coming," said Collins. "I’m a small frightened but we’ll deed nan gym and train hard."

The bout was promoted to nan apical of nan paper aft Britain's Fabian Edwards' rematch pinch middleweight champion Johnny Eblen was postponed.

McCourt called her opportunity to header nan arena a "celebration of women", conscionable arsenic she did successful 2020 erstwhile she became nan first female to to header a Bellator Europe show.

The 32-year-old defeated Germany's Judith Ruis by unanimous determination that nighttime successful Dublin but could not repetition her occurrence successful London.

Collins' counters served arsenic an early informing for McCourt arsenic she caught a limb footwear earlier landing an overhand right.

And it was Collins' correct manus which delivered nan defining infinitesimal soon aft arsenic a correct hook dropped McCourt.

Collins followed her to nan ground, delivering a number of strikes, earlier transitioning to backmost power and securing her bout-winning choke hold.

The triumph sees Collins widen her unbeaten grounds to six, while McCourt loses her number 1 contender spot.

McCourt, who suffered nan 4th conclusion of her career, was group to look Brazil's Cyborg earlier this year, but nan Professional Fighters League (PFL) took nan section successful a different guidance aft acquiring Bellator successful November.

She was alternatively paired against Sinead Kavanagh successful March, but pulled retired pinch injury, while Cyborg faces Larissa Pacheco connected 19 October.

The bout pinch Pacheco is not for Cyborg's featherweight title however, pinch nan victor alternatively receiving a commemorative "super-fights title belt".

“I’m emotion bully now. I want to opportunity convey you to Leah for this fight, I cognize she was promised a title conflict and she didn’t person to return this conflict and I’m really gladsome she did,” said Collins.

The co-main arena saw Briton Simeon Powell gain a constrictive divided determination triumph complete German light-heavyweight Rafael Xavier.

There was besides an awesome triumph connected nan undercard for chap British light-heavyweight Like Trainer, who submitted Lithuania's Laurynas Urbonavicius successful nan first information via a rear-naked choke.