Former UFC featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie has come under some heat as of late for her decision to move divisions, rather than defend her title from Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. Now, the fighter has been stripped of her title.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, as transcribed by MMA Fighting, the fighter explained that the negative feedback from fans has had an effect on her.
“People can say I’m scared,” de Randamie said. “I don’t mind. As long as I can look myself in the mirror and know I’m not scared. People can say I’m a cheater, I know I’m not a cheater. Of course it hurts, but I can’t change a person’s mind. If they believe that, it’s their opinion. But all the other stuff? Yeah, it hurt me. That hurt me more than losing the belt.”
“That goes deep,” she said. “It’s not only for me. This involves many other people. How many kids have been bullied, have committed suicide? I think that’s horrible. My only mission in life is to share what I love so much with the people that love it as much as I do.
“I’m talking about a lot of people who told me I should commit suicide and that I’m worthless. I’ve never been rock bottom, but it did hurt me. It hurt me because people think it’s OK to write something to somebody like that.”
