Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Strikeforce, and Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg is the greatest female fighter of all time, according to Bellator MMA president Scott Coker.
Coker, who promoted Cyborg under the Strikeforce banner from 2009-2011, helped bring the Brazilian legend over to Bellator MMA this past September. After Cyborg had a rough falling out with UFC and Dana White, Coker was there to pick up the pieces and offer the former world champion a new home and contract.
The Bellator frontman signed Cyborg under the assumption that she can still dominate the competition like she has for so many years.
“Cyborg is the greatest female fighter of all time. I don’t care what anybody says,” said Coker during a recent media scrum in Japan. “I was there in the beginning too, I’ve seen it all unfold, and it’s a much different environment today than it was back then. But I know who’s been dominating for the last 10 years and who’s been destroying people for the last 10 years. 10 years from now we can have a different conversation, see how far different ladies can take it. But as far as today, you have the greatest female fighter of all-time fighting Julia Budd.”
While Coker’s assessment of Cyborg’s storied dominance is accurate, it’s safe to say that reigning UFC women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes has surpassed Cyborg as the greatest female fighter of all time. Not only is Nunes the only fighter to ever knock out Cyborg — doing so in just 51 seconds back at UFC 232 last year — but “Lioness” also holds career wins over MMA greats Ronda Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Valentina Shevchenko.
So even though Cyborg has been dominating the competition for much longer than Nunes, the recent numbers and strength of competition certainly puts the UFC champion ahead of Cyborg heading into 2020.
Cyborg will make her Bellator debut at Bellator 238 on Jan. 25 live on DAZN from inside The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., as she takes on reigning women’s featherweight champion Julia Budd in the main event.
For more Bellator 238 fight card news click here.