UFC president Dana White came out today and said he’s making the Cris Cyborg vs. Amanda Nunes fight happen next. Now, the UFC featherweight champion is saying that’s not the fight she wants. Instead Cyborg wishes to fight a UFC newcomer who is actually from her division.
Dana White told Yahoo Sports today, “First of all, Amanda Nunes wants to fight her. Amanda Nunes wants to fight Cyborg. That is the fight to make and that is the fight I will make. That’s the fight. Amanda Nunes is a big, strong, powerful puncher. I think she matches up very well with Cyborg too and I think that’s a fun fight and that’s the fight to make.”
So far, since entering the UFC, Cyborg has only fought bantamweights moving up to face her, but now, as she explains on her official website, she wants to face a real featherweight next.
Here’s what Cyborg wrote:
“I can continue giving fans superfights, however in order for this division to grow it is my responsibility to respect the work of all the women fighting at 145lbs and give the top girls a chance at the title once they have earned it. If Amanda Nunes truly wants an opportunity at the 145lbs belt, a win against any ranked contender in that division would help establish her back in a weight class she left before fighting me.”
“As a World Champion it is important that you face the #1 contender. That is what makes it sport and not entertainment, otherwise what are the girls fighting at 145lbs training to work towards if they know they will never be given a title shot even if they become the best in the world? I have a responsibility to the sport to ensure that when I retire the 145lbs division continues to exist, and it is because of that I want my next fight to be against a contender from the featherweight division that has fought at 145lbs within the last year.”
“Having re-established myself as the WORLD CHAMPION at 145lbs I feel it is my obligation to fight the #1 contender at 145lbs in my next fight.”
“I have fought 4 consecutive fights against girls who have come up from 145lbs to fight me, because they were “SUPERFIGHTS” for the fans. Besides Lina Lansburg (I fought her at 140) none of these girls had been fighting at featherweight.”
The fight Cyborg is asking for is the Megan Anderson fight. Anderson is the current Invicta featherweight champion and the only test for Cyborg at her natural weight.
Thoughts?
