It is safe to conclude that there is a lack of contenders at the UFC’s women’s featherweight division. The company’s official website indicates that apart from champion Cris Cyborg, there is only one other women’s 145-pounder on the roster: Megan Anderson and Tonya Evinger, and Evinger’s next fight will be at bantamweight.
Cyborg successfully defended her title for the first time against Holly Holm at UFC 219 last December and is now made to contemplate on the idea of taking on Amanda Nunes in a possible super fight. In a recent interview with Split Decision MMA, Cyborg is now considering the possibility of moving to Bellator MMA, where she feels there are more top contenders for her to face.
“If you think about it, I’ve had my belt for 145 for like 1 year,” Cyborg said (transcript via BJPenn.com). “They don’t sign any girl at 145, they don’t put any girl fights (in my division) on the undercard…They don’t sign any girls 145. How you gonna grow the division if you don’t sign anybody? When Dana White says ‘ahh we don’t have girls for the division,’ it just sounds crazy to me.”
“Every week I see Bellator sign new girls at 145. They make a division for me in Bellator. If I finish this contract, for me to be the real champ at 145 I have to go to Bellator and fight all the girls there.”
Cyborg indicated that she has three fights left on her UFC contract.
Bellator MMA’s women’s featherweight division is bannered by current champion Julia Budd, along with the likes of Arlene Blencowe, Gabrielle Holloway, and Alexis Dufresne, just to name a few.