“They had the opportunity,” Cris Cyborg on why the Ronda Rousey fight never happened in the UFC
Follow Us
Cris Cyborg- Ronda Rousey
Former UFC/Invicta women’s featherweight champion and current Bellator MMA champion Cris Cyborg has done it all even if she decides to hang her gloves today itself, for she doesn’t care about the opportunities that passed away and she is in contentment with her life. Cyborg’s greatness is defined by 2 courses of her career, when she was undefeated for 13 years straight from 2005 to 2018 and bounced back from her first loss in 13 years only to become the world champion in a different promotion.
However, Cyborg’s name is not the only one thrown in talks of who is the greatest women’s mixed martial artist. Currently, her legacy is pitched against current UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and current UFC featherweight champion Amanda Nunes, the woman who handed Cyborg the first knockout loss of her career in 2018. At one point in time, Cyborg was fantasized by the MMA community to get in a fight against former women’s pound for pound great and UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.
Cris Cyborg primarily signed with the UFC to get the Ronda Rousey fight
In an interview with MMA Fighting’s THE MMA HOUR with Ariel Helwani, Cyborg talks about the number of years left before her retirement, her last victory against Arlene Blencowe, and much more. In the midst of this, Cyborg also talks about what happened to the fantasy matchup between her and Ronda Rousey and why the fight didn’t come to fruition forever.
“In the beginning, when [I signed with the UFC], I think they knew it was something I wanted for me to sign with them. But now if I stop and think about it, I think it was never the goal… I think it was never the goal to make this fight happen. Because they had the opportunity. They had the opportunity to make this fight. Maybe they were protecting her, maybe she didn’t want to fight and you cannot force her, but I think it was never the goal,” says Cyborg. [h/t MMA Fighting]
What do you make of Cyborg’s scepticism claiming the reluctance of the UFC is the reason for the Rousey fight not happening? Who do you think would’ve won if the fight ever happened? Cyborg and Rousey in their time were the 2 most dangerous women on the planet between 2012-2015 and just like Cyborg’s legacy, Rousey’s resume as an Olympic bronze medalist and a 6-time defender of her title in her prime speaks exceptional volumes in women’s combat sports history.
Stay Updated!
Abhai Singh Tanwar
(1386 Articles Published)