With all the talk of Floyd Mayweather fighting Conor McGregor in the UFC, people seem to have forgotten that Cris Cyborg also wants to welcome ‘Money’ to MMA. Also, Cyborg is fighting again this weekend on just three weeks notice…
UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg has been heavily linked to a big superfight lately. Amanda Nunes, currently the promotion’s w-135-pound champion has expressed her willingness to face the much-avoided Brazilian KO artist.
Herself a smashing machine from Brazil, ‘The Lioness’ has called out Cyborg on multiple occasions. Certainly, an exciting prospect, the two-title clash between Cyborg and Nunes has proven elusive thus far.
Instead, Cyborg faces Yana Kunitskaya on just three weeks notice at this weekend’s UFC 222. The fight features as the main event after Max Holloway pulled out of his title fight with Frankie Edgar.
So why is Cris Cyborg talking about fighting Floyd Mayweather in the UC octagon?
Cyborg Says She Would Tap Mayweather
After her big win against Holly Holm, Cyborg really cemented herself at the top of the WMMA pyramid. According to the Brazilian KO queen, she would tap Floyd Mayweather, for whatever it’s worth:
“You know, I’m gonna try my grappling for him,” Cyborg said (transcript courtesy of MMA Mania). “The first thing I would try is a double leg. I think fight Mayweather in boxing, it would be crazy. But MMA, I would probably take him down. I’m not going to challenge my boxing with his boxing. I know, but I’d need to slip my head a lot and have to be fast before I can catch him.”
On a far more relevant note, Cyborg recently told MMAWeekly.com about stepping up to UFC 222 on short notice:
Company Woman
“Hunter Campbell of the UFC contacted my Manager George Prajin and said that the UFC needed a new main event for UFC 222 because of the Max Holloway injury. I train year round and was already in preparation for an expected fight against Amanda Nunes, so when the opportunity came we felt it was one we could accept and show the UFC that we are willing to help the company when needed,”
“I am always in the gym and was already preparing for an expected fight against Amanda Nunes. I had to cancel a few public appearances that I had scheduled in Europe in order to get back to the states, but other than that my cardio and weight are good and I will be prepared for March 3.”
“There are not a lot of fighters who are willing to put their championship belt on the line with three weeks notice,” Cyborg said. “I am hoping that my actions will show the UFC that I am willing to do what is good for the company and that because of this we will see me get a little bit more of the marketing and exposure I have been campaigning for.”
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“Yana will be a tough challenge for me. A lot of people don’t know who she is and that is because there have been no featherweight fights in the UFC besides championship bouts,” Cyborg explained. “Yana was 8-1 at featherweight before winning the Invicta FC belt at Bantamweight. I think she will make for an exciting fight and am glad she accepted the bout.
“Yana will be training with Holly Holm and the Jackson’s Gym. She is a very skilled opponent with a lot of fight experience. I will take her seriously and respect her skills the entire time we are inside the Octagon.”
