Cyborg says she’ll ‘leave’ UFC if it doesn’t open women’s featherweight division

Cris Cyborg is willing to leave the UFC if no women’s 145 lbs weight class is created.

Cristiane Justino , better known as Cyborg, doesn’t particularly feel like she needs the UFC to further her career.

Prior to joining MMA’s premier promotion in 2016, the 31-year-old had already established herself one of the best fighters in women’s MMA and became known as Ronda Rousey’s biggest rival.

Cyborg is the current Invicta FC featherweight champion and has won fifteen of her seventeen wins via knockout. The Brazilian is one of the most feared strikers in WMMA and possesses devastating knockout power.

When Cyborg made her UFC debut at UFC 198, the California-based fighter destroyed Leslie Smith in the first round. In her second bout, Justino battered and TKO’d Muay Thai champion Lina Lansberg in Brasilia, Brazil.

Both fights, however, were contested at a catchweight of 140 lbs and Cyborg struggled to make the cut.

Speaking to Peruvian news website El Comerico, Justino said she’ll leave the UFC if there’s no women’s featherweight division added.

“The main thing is that I have two fights left in my division [featherweight],” Cyborg said, per Danny Segura of MMA Fighting. “I’m going to stay in my division, and see if the UFC opens up my division, or if they don’t do it, I’m going to leave.”

The former Strikeforce champion said that once her UFC contract expires, she’s open to negotiations with Rizin and Bellator.

“I’ll keep fighting so that hey open more divisions,” Cyborg said. “If I don’t have a division in the UFC, I’m going to go to another company like Rizin or Bellator or another organization where they have my division. I’ll keep fighting for that.”

A Rousey-Cyborg superfight has been hyped for years, but it would be impossible for Justino to make ‘Rowdy’s’ 135 lbs weight class.

There has been no news on Cyborg’s next opponent, but the Brazilian hopes to have a fight booked for early next year.

Cris Cyborg is willing to leave the UFC if no women’s 145 lbs weight class is created.

Cristiane Justino , better known as Cyborg, doesn’t particularly feel like she needs the UFC to further her career.

Prior to joining MMA’s premier promotion in 2016, the 31-year-old had already established herself one of the best fighters in women’s MMA and became known as Ronda Rousey’s biggest rival.

Cyborg is the current Invicta FC featherweight champion and has won fifteen of her seventeen wins via knockout. The Brazilian is one of the most feared strikers in WMMA and possesses devastating knockout power.

When Cyborg made her UFC debut at UFC 198, the California-based fighter destroyed Leslie Smith in the first round. In her second bout, Justino battered and TKO’d Muay Thai champion Lina Lansberg in Brasilia, Brazil.

Both fights, however, were contested at a catchweight of 140 lbs and Cyborg struggled to make the cut.

Speaking to Peruvian news website El Comerico, Justino said she’ll leave the UFC if there’s no women’s featherweight division added.

“The main thing is that I have two fights left in my division [featherweight],” Cyborg said, per Danny Segura of MMA Fighting. “I’m going to stay in my division, and see if the UFC opens up my division, or if they don’t do it, I’m going to leave.”

The former Strikeforce champion said that once her UFC contract expires, she’s open to negotiations with Rizin and Bellator.

“I’ll keep fighting so that hey open more divisions,” Cyborg said. “If I don’t have a division in the UFC, I’m going to go to another company like Rizin or Bellator or another organization where they have my division. I’ll keep fighting for that.”

A Rousey-Cyborg superfight has been hyped for years, but it would be impossible for Justino to make ‘Rowdy’s’ 135 lbs weight class.

There has been no news on Cyborg’s next opponent, but the Brazilian hopes to have a fight booked for early next year.