Fjäderviktsmästaren Cris Cyborg försvarade senast sin titel mot före detta bantamviktsmästaren Holly Holm på UFC 219 i slutet av 2017. I helgen är det dags igen då hon möter Yana Kunitskaya på UFC 222.
Cyborg hade egentligen inte tänkt att fightas så tätt inpå men förklarar för The Sports Journal att hon gör det som en tjänst åt UFC.
THE UFC NEEDED HELP WITH THE MAIN EVENT FOR UFC 222 AFTER MAX HOLLOWAY GOT INJURED AND MY MANAGER GEORGE PRAJIN HAS A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UFC’S HUNTER CAMPBELL WHICH MADE THIS AN EASY OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW WME THAT I’M WILLING TO HELP THE COMPANY WHEN ASKED. THERE ARE NOT MANY UFC CHAMPIONS WILLING TO DEFEND THEIR BELT ON THREE WEEKS NOTICE. I HAD ALREADY TOLD MY MANAGER I WANTED TO FIGHT THREE TIMES THIS YEAR, AND HE WAS NEGOTIATING THE AMANDA NUNES FIGHT WHEN THIS OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF. I WAS IN GREAT SHAPE FOR HOLLY HOLM AND DIDN’T WAIT LONG BEFORE RETURNING TO THE GYM. OBVIOUSLY, YOU WANT A FULL CAMP WHEN ACCEPTING A FIGHT BUT AS A WORLD CHAMPION, YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO KEEP YOURSELF READY TO GO. I LIVE A CLEAN LIFESTYLE ALL YEAR ROUND.
Som hon nämner ovan var Cyborg i förhandlingar kring en super-fight mot nuvarande bantamviktsmästaren Amanda Nunes. Till en början verkade inte Cyborg särskilt intresserad av en match mot Nunes då hon hävdade att hon vill möta ”äkta” fjäderviktare i ett försök att bygga upp den tunna divisionen.
THE FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION IS GOING TO NATURALLY FILL UP AND BECOME ONE OF THE DEEPEST DIVISIONS IN WMMA. YOU HAVE ALREADY SEEN FIGHTERS LIKE GERMAINE DE RANDAMIE, HOLLY HOLM, CAT ZINGANO, AND SARAH MORAS EITHER MOVE UP OR TALK ABOUT IT AND YOU’VE SEEN OTHER GIRLS FROM BANTAMWEIGHT MOVE DOWN TO 125-POUNDS. ADDING 145-POUNDS PREVENTS A LOT OF FEMALES FROM PARTICIPATING IN EXTREME WEIGHT CUTTING.
Hennes nästa titelförsvar kommer dock också att vara mot en ”oäkta” fjäderviktare, då hon möter Invicta FC:s bantamviktsmästare Yana Kunitskaya. En motståndare som enligt Cyborg är underskattad av MMA-fansen.
A LOT OF FANS ONLY FOLLOW THE UFC. SHE HAS NEVER HAD A FIGHT IN THE UFC SO I DON’T EXPECT MOST FANS TO REALIZE THAT SHE IS 8-1 WHEN COMPETING AT 145-POUNDS OR HEAVIER. THIS IS A GIRL WITH REAL KO POWER WHO IS TRAINING WITH THE SAME TEAM I JUST FOUGHT 8 WEEKS AGO. SHE HAS FOUGHT ON MAJOR PROMOTIONS LIKE ACB AND INVICTA AND IN HER LAST FIGHT WON A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BY DECISION. I RESPECT ALL OF MY OPPONENTS, YANA CAN STRIKE AND SHE CAN GRAPPLE SHE IS A COMPLETE FIGHTER. I THINK SIMILAR TO WHEN I FOUGHT HOLLY HOLM WE WILL HAVE A CHANCE AT WINNING A PERFORMANCE BONUS.
Cyborg siktar fortfarande på super-fighten mot Nunes och hoppas att den ska ske på UFC 226 under International fight week.
I THINK MY FANS KNOW I HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A JULY 7TH FIGHT DATE DURING INTERNATIONAL FIGHT WEEK. NOW THAT WE ARE BOTH SCHEDULED TO FIGHT, WE WILL HAVE TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS FIRST BUT IF WE BOTH WIN THAT CARD STILL LOOKS LIKE THE MEGA-CARD OF THE SUMMER WHICH IS PERFECT FOR SUCH A SUPER FIGHT.
Amanda Nunes ryktas dock möta Raquel Pennington på UFC 224 i Brasilien. Först om de båda mästarinnorna går segrande ur dessa matcher vet vi om det blir någon super-fight.
