Cris Cyborg Responds to Possible Fights Against Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson
Cris Cyborg never backs down from a challenge.
Following her unanimous decision victory over Holly Holm at UFC 219 on Saturday night, Cyborg barely had the championship belt wrapped back around her waist before she was already thinking about what comes next.
While the UFC hasn’t actually assembled a full women’s featherweight division, Cyborg has still been called out by more than a few fighters including former Invicta FC featherweight champion Megan Anderson.
In addition to Anderson, who is actually on the UFC roster, women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes also seems interested in that possible matchup as well. Last week, Nunes’ head coach said that a fight with Cyborg was going to get their attention in 2018 assuming she got past Holm.
Now it seems both fighters are possible as Cyborg looks to defend her belt against the biggest and best opponents the UFC can throw at her.
“I always said I didn’t want to fight somebody that’s Brazilian but if she want to fight me, I’ll fight anybody Dana White put in front of me,” Cyborg said about Nunes. “I’m a fighter and I have to fight who they put [in front] of me.
“But what I’m saying about Megan Anderson, because she’s 145 pounds and I would like my division growing. For growing you need to invest, you need put girls at 145 and I think she’s in line for the belt.”
Anderson was actually supposed to face Cyborg in July to crown a new UFC women’s featherweight champion but she was forced out of the bout due to personal reasons. Anderson still hasn’t made her UFC debut but it appears she may still get a title shot against Cyborg after all.
As far as timing goes, Cyborg mentioned immediately after her win that she would like to face Anderson in Australia, which pointed towards the upcoming UFC 221 card taking place in Perth in Feb.
Cyborg definitely seemed to like that idea at the time but after taking off her gloves and allowing the adrenaline from the fight to settle down, it appears her hands are feeling the effects of a five round battle and competing again in early Feb. might be just a little too soon.
“I don’t know,” Cyborg said about competing at UFC 221. “My hand really hearts now because her head is very, very hard. I don’t know about six weeks.”