Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
It was announced last week that former UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg — real name Cristiane Justino — had decided not to renew her contract with the premiere fight promotion and, judging by a recent Instagram post, the Brazilian couldn’t be any happier.
Cyborg, who dominated Felicia Spencer enroute to a lopsided unanimous victory at UFC 240, is excited to embark on this new chapter of her career.
“I’m very happy God is faithful, I finished ERA #UFC I did my last fight, that means no one released me ! Together we had ERA #eliteXc, ERA #Strikeforce, ERA #InvictaFC and ERA #UFC, all were successful!We will be starting a new #ERA soon news I’m excited to know where will be our next ERA!The Cyborg Nation was already Giant before the ERA UFC even trying to delete us, imagine now that we will be in a boat that the Cyborg Nation will be welcome. ‘It will be just joy’! guys be sure to follow my YouTube channel will soon have news,” Cyborg posted on Monday.
Cyborg added further commentary in the comments (h/t MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz), where she claimed UFC president Dana White has a ‘dark soul’ and ‘an unexplained anger against me’.
“Dana didn’t want to give me the rematch, only a six-fight contract, and the UFC unfortunately doesn’t have girls in my division,” Cyborg wrote in Portuguese. “I’d die in the UFC without fighting, and still being defamed, so the best option would be see other promotions that have my division, where I could fight more often. Who knows, maybe one day Amanda and I will rematch. No one knows what tomorrow might bring, God’s the one who makes my plans.”
“I’m going to a place people knows about the word respect,” Cyborg posted in another comment. “Uncle Dana don’t want give the rematch .. I can’t be stuck [an event] don’t have my division.. I can’t be fighting 1 time per year.. and the boss try damage my brand. I’m fighter and human [being] too.”
Since leaving the UFC, Justino has been called out by women’s Bellator featherweight champion Julia Budd, who believes now would be the perfect time for the Cyborg to sign with Bellator and challenge her for the title.