The Cris Cyborg conundrum is a tricky one. Not only do the UFC have to find women willing to step into a cage and fight her, but find ones that can provide genuine tests.
And while they managed to do that at UFC 219, when Cyborg faced Holly Holm, last Saturday at UFC 222, Yana Kunitskaya was left outclassed by the women’s featherweight champion. Now, in the wake of the latest destructive showing by Cyborg, UFC president Dana White is looking outside the box to give Cyborg a challenge.
Namely, he’s looking to UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.
Nunes and Cyborg had been linked to a champion vs. champion bout over the past few months, only for Cyborg to accept the Kunitskaya contest on short notice. Now, with that fight out of the way, White is looking to make the all Brazilian contest next up — maybe even in Brazil itself.
“I think I will,” White said, post-fight on Saturday. “I mean, she just fought, so once the adrenaline goes down, she’s got to get checked out and make sure she’s 100%. And I just think her and Nunes is the fight that needs to happen.
“[Cyborg’s] a beast. The fight to make is her and Nunes. That’s the fight that needs to happen. Nunes wants the fight, she wants the fight, I want the fight, I’m sure the fans want to see it, too. So we’ll get that one going.”
—