‘It would be awesome’: ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings targets Heather Hardy after win at Bellator Dublin (VIDEO)

Aussie fan favorite ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings said she would relish the prospect of a showdown with boxer-turned-MMA fighter Heather ‘The Heat’ Hardy, after Rawlings finally got back in the win column at Bellator 240 in Dublin.

Rawlings outmuscled Greek youngster Elina Kallionidou in their featherweight bout in the Irish capital, picking up a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 29-28).

It was a first Bellator win for Rawlings in her second fight with the promotion – and snapped a five-fight skid in MMA stretching back to her UFC loss against Paige VanZant back in August of 2016.

Rawlings – who famously took a detour to bareknuckle boxing, becoming a BKFC queen and going undefeated in three fights after leaving the UFC – said afterwards at Dublin’s 3Arena that she would be up for throwing down with another MMA fighter renowned for her boxing skills: America’s Heather ‘Heat’ Hardy.

“I’d really like to fight Heather Hardy, I think that would be an awesome fight,” Rawlings, 31, told MMA fighting.   

“She’s a boxer, I’m a bare-knuckle boxing champion, I think stylistically that would be an interesting fight.

“But you know, I’m going to fight anyone they put up against me. I’m trying to chase gold, I’m trying to earn my shot against Ilima [Lei Macfarlane] or whoever is the [Bellator] champion at the time."

"I need to work on some things I’m not happy with, but I’m trying to fight at least three more times this year.

“I definitely think I’m one of the best boxers [in Bellator].”

Rawlings' callout didn’t take long to reach Hardy, the former WBO women’s featherweight world champion who in recent years has combined boxing with MMA after making her Bellator bow in 2017, since going 2-2 in the promotion.

Hardy, 38, put it out there to her followers on social media, asking whether they would like see her take on the Aussie brawler.

Ahead of any potential clash with Hardy – which would no doubt delight fans – the straight-talking Rawlings said she had more immediate business to attend to, namely celebrating her victory in the Irish capital.

“My coach, it’s his stag party so I’m going to take him out to some strippers and we’re going to get on it,” Rawlings said.  

JOY FOR STAR-IN-WAITING MCCOURT

Elsewhere on the night in Dublin, there was joy for Northern Ireland’s Leah McCourt as she outpointed Germany’s Judith Ruis at Bellator Europe 7.

Belfast fighter McCourt picked up a hard-fought unanimous decision victory, but was tested all the way by Ruis, who almost secured an armbar submission inside the opening round before McCourt skillfully maneuvered her escape.  

McCourt largely dominated exchanges on the ground to pick up a unanimous decision win which improves her record to 3-0 in the promotion (4-1 overall), as further burgeons her reputation as a star in the making.