Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) President, Dana White, are on good terms after a tumultuous relationship over the years.
The current Bellator women’s Featherweight champion, Cyborg, made a trip to the UFC APEX facility earlier this month (Sept. 5, 2023) to watch her friend and teammate, Dione Barbosa, on Dana White’s Contender Series. The Brazilian and UFC boss didn’t end their business relationship on the best of terms in 2019, which made the all-time great’s appearance back on UFC soil a surprising one.
“I wanted to be supportive of her so I talked to her, I texted Dana to ask if it’s okay if I can go watch my friend,” Cyborg told ESPN. “She was doing good, we always train together and he said, ‘Okay, Cris. No problem.’
“We’d been sparring together, training together for two years and I know it’s one big dream for her,” she continued. “It was great. She won, great fight and she got her contract.”
Cyborg and White traded verbal jabs before they ever started working together when UFC absorbed Strikeforce and eventually signed Cyborg in 2016. White and longtime UFC commentator, Joe Rogan, infamously made offensive remarks about Cyborg’s appearance before her UFC arrival. Once she arrived, there was a hesitancy to open a 145-pound division in the promotion as Cyborg fought her first two fights in the Octagon at 140 pounds in Catchweight contests.
When the UFC did create a Featherweight division in February 2017, Cyborg was left out of the picture as Holly Holm and Germaine de Randamie fought over the inaugural title. Cyborg eventually parted ways with UFC after requests for a title shot rematch with Amanda Nunes weren’t met as well as her posting an edited backstage video of her confronting White after her UFC 240 win against Felicia Spencer (her last in the company).
“I forgive him for everything that happened,” Cyborg said. “I’m getting older, I don’t want to hold grudges and he knows that. There’s just different ways in life but I wish the best for him, for sure.”
Nunes was the only person to defeat Cyborg in her six-fight run (26-2, 1 no contest overall) with UFC. She defended the Featherweight title twice and finished all but two of her wins. Largely considered one of the greatest fighters of all time, Cyborg would make for a logical choice in the promotion’s Hall of Fame. However, she isn’t holding her breath.
“I don’t know. Let’s see what the fans [think],” Cyborg said. “I’m going to continue my journey and be one of the best for the sport. Not just for me but for women’s MMA, the future, and if at the end of the line this happens, it’s gonna be amazing and I’ll be very thankful.”
Cyborg returns to action when she defends her Bellator title against Cat Zingano at Bellator 300 in San Diego, California next weekend (Sat., Oct. 7, 2023).
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