What options remain for UFC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg?

Cris Cyborg disagrees with Dana White’s “Fight Island”

Everyone has their opinion on Dana White’s “Fight Island” and Cris Cyborg is voicing hers.

In an interview with The No-Sports Report with Jensen Karp, Cyborg was asked about White trying to put on shows during the COVID-19 pandemic and she didn’t hold back her feelings.

“Everybody has to be quarantined,” said Cyborg. “It’s the rules for everyone. You know a lot of people don’t want to be home. A lot of people are struggling now, and I think he personally should do something (other) than just think about himself and boxing and MMA fights. … I think it’s better to wait, like everyone – respect everyone.”

Cyborg also added that said she would never participant in a fight during this time.

“Even though the fighters have to be together for training, you could say, ‘OK, I’m going to make an event now.’ Do you think if you (did) say, ‘OK, Cris, you’re going to have a fight,’ I’m going to have to make my team?” Cyborg said. “You know, I have to put my team together. We are going to be together, training. Then you put the risk of the family around you. You know, I think you had to wait and have respect for the process. Be patient.”

Cyborg, who is the current Bellator featherweight champion, previously fought in the UFC where she was also the featherweight queen.

Throughout Cyborg’s career, her and White haven’t always had the best relationship. Before she signed with the UFC, the two had gone back and forth with each other. Once Cyborg signed with the promotion, the two appeared to patch up their problems until the end of Cyborg’s UFC tenure.

The relationship really went south following Cyborg’s loss to Amanda Nunes in December 2018. Following the loss, Cyborg had one fight left on her contract and wanted a rematch with Nunes. White however, said Cyborg didn’t want an immediate rematch and the fight was never made.

Cyborg would defeat Felicia Spencer in her last fight with the UFC. Following her win over Spencer, she posted a video to her YouTube channel in which she confronted White about getting a rematch with Nunes.

After the release of Cyborg’s video, the UFC posted a video to their YouTube channel where White announced that Cyborg was released from the company.

Cyborg signed with Bellator after being released and has voiced her praise for Bellator and their president Scott Coker. In her only fight with Bellator, she defeated Julia Budd to claim the featherweight title.

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John Eric Poli