Dana White Wants to Make Cris Cyborg vs. Amanda Nunes Sooner Rather Than Later
Cris Cyborg may be in line for a super fight against Amanda Nunes sooner than expected.
UFC president Dana White has long teased the possible showdown between Cyborg and Nunes that would pit champion against champion for the first time in UFC history for the women’s divisions. Now White wants to see the fight so much that he may actually scrap a planned fight between Nunes and Raquel Pennington at UFC 224 in May in favor of making Cyborg vs. Nunes instead.
“The fight to make is [Cyborg] and [Amanda] Nunes. That’s the fight that needs to happen,” White said at the post fight press conference. “Nunes wants the fight. She wants the fight. I want the fight. I’m sure the fans want to see it, too. We’ll get that one going.”
When asked if it’s possible that he may cancel the planned fight between Nunes and Pennington, White seemed to believe that not only could happen — that’s exactly what he’s thinking about doing right now.
“I think that I will,” White said about scrapping Nunes’ fight with Pennington in favor of a matchup against Cyborg instead. “Could be. [Cyborg] just fought. Once the adrenaline goes down, she’s got to get checked out, make sure she’s 100-percent.
“I just think that her and Nunes is the fight that needs to happen.”
Cyborg was healthy after her lopsided win over Yana Kunitskaya on Saturday night at UFC 222 but competing again as early as May might not work out for the reigning women’s featherweight champion.
Cyborg has booked back-to-back fights against Kunitskaya and Holly Holm between December and January and as she prepares to adopt her niece at the end of the month, fighting again at UFC 224 might be a little too soon.
“For me it’s going to be too soon,” Cyborg said about fighting at UFC 224 in May. “Because I’m going to Brazil, I have a lot of things to do. I’m going to adopt and bring my niece [to live with me]. That’s going to be the end of March. I accepted this fight because it’s the beginning of March and I could continue with my plan. Let’s see.”
