If it were up to Cris Cyborg, she would be fighting the next 145-pound challenger over a superfight against Amanda Nunes.
On Thursday, UFC president Dana White went on record with Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole, stating his intentions to make a superfight between women’s champions Cris Cyborg and Amanda Nunes happen. However, it is a matchup that Cyborg does not agree with.
Instead, the reigning women’s featherweight champion would rather fight the next top 145-pound contender, simply because it is the sensible thing to do.
“As a World Champion it is important that you face the #1 contender,” Cyborg wrote on her official website. “That is what makes it sport and not entertainment, otherwise what are the girls fighting at 145lbs training to work towards if they know they will never be given a title shot even if they become the best in the world?”
“I have a responsibility to the sport to ensure that when I retire the 145lbs division continues to exist, and it is because of that I want my next fight to be against a contender from the featherweight division that has fought at 145lbs within the last year.”
“If Megan Anderson is not ready to fight, then the next available contender Pam Sorenson deserves the opportunity,” she continued. “I can continue giving fans superfights, however in order for this division to grow it is my responsibility to respect the work of all the women fighting at 145lbs and give the top girls a chance at the title once they have earned it.”
Cyborg is not closing her doors on a possible fight against Nunes, but would only do so if “The Lioness” fought her way to it.
“If Amanda Nunes truly wants an opportunity at the 145lbs belt, a win against any ranked contender in that division would help establish her back in a weight class she left before fighting me.”
Nunes last fought Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 215 in September, where the women’s bantamweight titleholder won via split decision.