P4P greats Braekhus and Cyborg spent the weekend drumming up interest in another MMA vs. Boxing crossover fight.
Pound for pound number 1 women’s boxer Cecilia Braekhus made history on Saturday night, becoming part of the first women’s fight to air on HBO Boxing.
The undisputed women’s welterweight champion defended her IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO 147 pound belts for an impressive 22nd time on the undercard of the Golovkin vs. Martirosyan card in Carson California, battling through a late knockdown to win a 10 round decision over Kali Reis. Watch the highlights:
HIGHLIGHTS: @1LadyCecilia overcomes knockdown to stay on top. #BraekhusReis pic.twitter.com/ZQm3wB2q0U
— HBOboxing (@HBOboxing) May 6, 2018
According to ESPN, Braekhus had a ‘fan’ in the stands: women’s featherweight champ Cris “Cyborg” Justino.
At ringside is UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, who came to watch Braekhus. Cyrborg, wearing a “Cyborg vs. Braekhus 2019” T-shirt, said she has aspirations to fight Braekhus in a boxing match. Cyborg, speaking to ringside media, said she… https://t.co/Wungmo2p6U
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) May 6, 2018
Por lo que se ve, Cris Cyborg quiere enfrentarse a Cecilia Braekhus en 2019 pic.twitter.com/R56AR2S2ty
— JuliusJulianis (@julianisjulius) May 6, 2018
Just spoke to @criscyborg here at @StubHub Center. She said she has two more fights in the @UFC, then plans to try to box. She wants to fight @CeciliaBraekhus who is fighting here tonight. She said she can go back to #MMA after that
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) May 6, 2018
Leading into her fight with Reis, Braekhus included Cris in the list of opponents she’d like in the future.
”A hybrid fight with Cyborg, MMA, boxing,” she told Fino Boxing. “We have discussed this. That would be amazing. We have already discussed this and she’s very interested in that because she saw what happened with Mayweather-McGregor and the hype that gave them, and for her to take on the best female pound for pound boxer, she’s very excited about that. But of course we have to negotiate the deal.”
And after the win she expanded on the possibility (via FightHubTV).
”She’s very interested in this,” Braekhus said during the post-fight press conference. “She’s texting me and she’s writing me and if we can get it done, sure it would be a spectacular thing to do. And I think she’s actually a better striker than McGregor. I think that would be a much more competitive fight than Mayweather vs. McGregor, also.”
With Dana White trying to break out into the world of boxing and there being little for Cyborg to do at featherweight (at least until the next season of The Ultimate Fighter is over), a fight with Braekhus could be the best use of her time. What do you think, Maniacs? Think we’ll see Braekhus vs. Cyborg some day?