That bout was the last under Cyborg’s UFC contract and UFC President Dana White believes that she may leave the promotion to seek easier fights.
“Cyborg has been around for a long time,” White said to Brett Okamoto of ESPN (via Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting). “In my honest opinion, Cyborg sees herself in the twilight of her career, and I think she would like some easier fights. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Many fighters have left to move on to easier fights and there’s nothing wrong with that. When you get to a certain age and a certain point of her career and you look like Cris tonight, if that was Amanda Nunes, it’s a whole different ballgame. I don’t blame her for that, I’m not criticizing her for that, but these are facts. And the fact is, I will make the fight if she wants to fight Amanda, and Amanda wants that fight.”
The relationship between Cyborg and the UFC has been rocky at best, with Cyborg recently seeking apologies from White and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan for negative comments towards her.
White also says that UFC Women’s Featherweight Champion Amanda Nunes is up for a rematch with Cyborg, but White believes that current version of Cyborg may not want that bout.
“That’s up to Cris,” White said. “Amanda Nunes was blowing me up all night. She was like ‘Get her to take this fight. Get her to take this fight.’ I know every time I speak, Cyborg thinks I’m speaking negatively about her, which I’m not. I’m just speaking facts. After watching her fight tonight and after her last fight, I don’t blame her for not wanting to fight Amanda Nunes. If that was Amanda Nunes in there tonight, you know...”
Nunes and Cyborg met for the first time at UFC 232, with Nunes scoring a sub-one minute knockout win to claim the UFC Women’s Featherweight Title.
