The buzz around the mixed martial arts (MMA) water cooler at the moment is a potential superfight between current Bellator MMA women’s Featherweight champion and all-around striking machine, Cris Cyborg, taking on PFL’s million-dollar check collecting phenom, Kayla Harrison.
Harrison is a free agent but she and her management team are currently fielding several offers, which means Scott Coker and Co. will have to come correct if they want to land the Olympic gold medal-wearing shark, who has yet to taste defeat in 12 pro fights.
As for Cyborg — who is coming off a lightning-quick knockout win over Sinead Kavanagh a Bellator 271 — she still has several other options to keep her busy before a potential showdown against the judo specialist hits the negotiation table, specifically a possible title defense against her former UFC stablemate Cat Zingano.
“I don’t pick who I want to fight, but you threw that and if it happens, it happens,” Cyborg said in an interview with MMA Junkie. “Cat Zingano is a great fight. The girl beat Amanda Nunes, the last one to beat Amanda Nunes, and she’s undefeated in Bellator, and I’m happy to have the opportunity to fight her.”
“It’s nice when I have a quick turnaround,” Cyborg said. “Just rest a little bit then back to training again. It’s very nice, it’s a long camp, but I train every day. So if I train every day, it’s not just training for the camp. I train every day, so when it’s close to the fight, I just make a plan on how the fight is gonna work, the game plan of the fight.”
Zingano and Cyborg never crossed paths inside UFC’s Octagon, but now that both ladies are thriving under the Bellator banner the time to set the wheels in motion for this potential slugfest is now.
Zingano is ranked No. 2 at the moment and is on a two-fight win streak. Arlene Blencowe — who is ranked No. 1 — could be standing in the way but she already failed in her bid to dethrone Cyborg from the 145-pound throne a year ago, so throwing a fresh face and fists at Cyborg seems like the logical step to take.
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