Scouting Report: Julia Budd

Julia Budd

Born: July 4, 1983 (Age: 39) in Roberts Creek, British Columbia
Division: Women’s Featherweight
Height: 5’8”
Reach: 70”
Record: 16-5 (1-2 PFL)
Association: Gibson Kickboxing and Pankration
Stage of Career: Twilight

Summary: Budd was one of the greatest women’s mixed martial artists of all-time in her prime. She featured solid kickboxing, terrific cardio and sound decision making, and despite a striking background, she had some of the best takedowns and ground-and-pound in the sport. However, over the past few years, her striking prowess has diminished and she has struggled to win standup battles as a result. Additionally, Budd’s takedowns have become slower and less effective, and her cardio has weakened greatly. As such, she struggles to outwrestle opponents the way she once did. Without the weapons she used to call upon in the striking and grappling departments, Budd appears to be a shadow of her former self.

STRIKING

• Stance: Orthodox.
• Hand Speed: Subpar.
• Jab: A slow, pawing, weak arm punch.
• Cross: Technically competent with some power to it, though it is hampered by its lack of speed, especially as Budd ages.
• Left Hook: Almost never throws it, and even in her prime, there was little to fear from the left side.
• Overhand Right: Rarely throws it.
• Uppercuts: Generally keeps them sheathed.
• Solitary Striker or Volume Puncher: Tends to throw on punch at a time, which makes sense given her slow hands.
• Favorite Combination(s): The one-two. However, when she throws it two or three times in a row, it often results in stiff arm punches with her head a little too high.
• Leg Kicks: A mixed bag. Her calf kick has power to it, and she will use it to set up her punches. However, her kicks are often telegraphed and naked, with her head on the center line, which leaves her open to be countered.
• Body Kicks: Her front kick to the body is accurate and carries some power, leading to a finish against Olga Rubin.
• Head Kicks: Rarely throws them.
• Chains Kicks to Punches: No.

While Budd comes from a striking background, it was never her primary weapon in MMA. Her hands were always slow, and only her right cross is an effective punch. It is a solid, accurate and powerful shot, even though it lacks speed. She has a damaging calf kick and front kick to the body, though she throws the former telegraphed and naked, which can lead to her getting countered hard. Aside from that, Budd does not throw many different punches, and her left is of little concern for opponents. In her prime, she focused on her strengths and chose her spots well, but due to the slow nature of her punches, she struggles to outstrike anyone at her current level.

CLINCH

• Physical Strength: Still excellent.
• Technique: Sound.
• Knees: Throws hard, accurate shots to the solar plexus, though she struggles to fire as many or as quickly as she did in her prime.
• Elbows: Does not throw them.
• Defense Against Knees/Elbows: Satisfactory for as long as her cardio lasts.

In her prime, Budd was a terror in the clinch. She was tremendously strong and had excellent technique there, as she could either secure takedowns or batter the opponent with knees to the body. She is still quite tough in close quarters, though she struggles to get as much offense going, as the recent Aspen Ladd fight demonstrated.

GRAPPLING

• Wrestling from a Shot: Non-existent.
• Wrestling in the Clinch: She was quite good in her prime but only decent now. Budd features a nice high-crotch single from the clinch, which serves as her go-to move. She remains very persistent.
• Takedown Defense: Being strong, she can push off opponents well, as she showed against Ladd.
• Ability to Return to Feet: She uses hips well to get back up.
• Submissions: Rarely pursues them. Her lone submission came back in 2013 against an opponent who finished with a record of 1-2.
• Defense/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Bottom: Holds up for as long as her cardio lasts, as she has proven effective at controlling the biceps.
• Top Control: Above average.
• Ground-and-Pound: Budd throws some solid punches and has stopped opponents who offer little resistance. Those who are more advanced can curtail much of her offense.

At her peak, Budd was proficient at getting takedowns from the clinch, especially thanks to her high-crotch single. Once she was on top, opponents struggled to get back up against her, and Budd delivered solid ground-and-pound—not enough for stoppages against better competition but a steady diet of blows that would sometimes be enough to break them, especially when her cardio was better. The takedowns in the clinch are much less potent these days, which badly hampers Budd’s game. Defensively, she remains sound: difficult to take down, solid at getting back up and hard to inflict much damage against in cases where she stays on the bottom.

INTANGIBLES

• Athleticism/General Physical Strength: Still powerful but sorely lacks dynamism now that she is almost 40.
• Cardio: Stellar in her prime, but she now struggles to wrestle for long, often looking badly winded or even gassed in the third round. See the Genah Fabian fight, for example.
• Chin: She can be hurt, but it takes a big puncher. Amanda Nunes and Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino remain the only two women to record knockouts against her.
• Recuperative Powers: Weathered some heavy barrages by “Cyborg” before eventually succumbing to the Brazilian’s advances.
• Intelligence: A tremendously smart fighter who maximized her abilities in the sport of MMA, became a great champion and consistently made good decisions during the course of a fight.