UFC featherweight Cris Cyborg is getting ready to make the first defense of her title, as she prepares for UFC 219. For the fight, Cyborg will be facing off against former bantamweight champion Holly Holm inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. on Dec. 30. That in mind, it would appear that Holm is not the only fighter on the featherweight champion’s mind.
Back in 2015, Cyborg was looking to set up a fight against UFC superstar Ronda Rousey. However, Rousey suffered her first career loss to Holly Holm before making it to Cyborg. With Rousey now effectively out of the fight game for the moment, Cyborg believes that a win over Holly Holm will constitute a victory over the UFC megastar.
Speaking on The MMA Hour, Cris Cyborg broke down her reasoning with Ariel Helwani.
“I think each fight is a challenge for me,” Cyborg stated, when on The MMA Hour. “I think when I fight with Holly and beat Holly, I’m gonna beat Ronda at the same time. Everybody that follows my career knows how much I did for this fight to happen, and didn’t happen.
“I think if I beat Holly I’m gonna beat Ronda the same day. I feel like that because Holly fought Ronda, and when this fight happened, Dana (White) said if Ronda beat Holly, (her) next fight would be Cyborg, and then Holly stopped Ronda before. Just people think about, simple.”
Whatever happens, Cyborg will get a chance to settle things in the octagon with Holly Holm live on pay-per-view at UFC 219.
