The last time Cris Cyborg went on record about a possible fight against Amanda Nunes, she was apprehensive about it, saying she would rather defend the women’s 145-pound belt against the next contender. Specifically, the champion feels obligated to “ensure that the women’s featherweight division continues to exist.”
Her tune, however, changed on Monday, when she spoke to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. This time, Cyborg says she is open to fighting Nunes, but on one condition.
“I want to fight her on a big event, big card,” Cyborg said (via MMA Fighting). “Big card that can sell pay-per-views. Amanda, she did almost 100,000 PPV [buys]. She’s not changing my career at 145 or anything beating her, and she don’t sell pay-per-view. Okay, ‘superfight,’ she’s not [Conor] McGregor.”
Cyborg’s biggest apprehension about fighting Nunes was not about the match-up itself. Rather, it was more about the current women’s bantamweight champion is less of a draw than others.
“I don’t think Amanda is a big draw. One thing when I was world champ in Strikeforce, Amanda start training, start punching bag,” Cyborg said. “They say [she was] supposed to fight 145, no. Amanda never could get close to fight for the belt at 145 in Strikeforce. Alexis Davis beat her, TKO, Cat Zingano beat her. She’s had a lot of fights she’s supposed to do now, but, what has she done at 145?”
Cyborg now seems all in and even has a timeframe in mind already.
“They can call this fight a ‘superfight,’ Cyborg said. “You can fight anyone and make six numbers, you know? But okay, if [Dana White] likes to do a big event and big card, okay, let’s do July. Let’s do Las Vegas.”
The 29-year-old Nunes last saw action at UFC 215 last September, in a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko. She won the fight via split decision, marking her second successful title defense.
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