Cris Cyborg talks Amanda Nunes, Ronda Rousey and Kayla Harrison as MMA retirement looms
MMA legend Cris Cyborg has spoken about several of her former rivals as she gets closer and closer to retiring from the sport.
On Saturday night, Cris Cyborg will face off against Sara Collins in the co-main event of PFL Lyon. The expectation is that this will be her penultimate fight in mixed martial arts as the veteran prepares to move in to a new chapter of her career and her life.
Of course, over the years, Cris Cyborg has either fought or been linked with some of the biggest names in the sport. Unfortunately, we never got to see her take on the likes of Ronda Rousey or Kayla Harrison, but she was able to get in there with Amanda Nunes in what is still considered to be one of the biggest female fights of all time.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Cris Cyborg opened up and gave her thoughts on those names we just mentioned.
Cris Cyborg talks about past MMA rivals
“Amanda Nunes happened, we fought each other, both from Brazil, that night she was better than me, she got the victory,” Cyborg said. “We never ran from each other. She didn’t give me the rematch. I asked for the rematch, everybody knows the story and she said ‘Cris, I’m not going to give you the rematch.’ She signed the deal that [one] time.
“I choose to follow my new journey. I’ve got two titles in Bellator and I went to PFL. I think I’m seven years undefeated. I think I’m a better fighter for sure. I improved my game.”
“When I started fighting, I was already champion, Ronda started fighting,” Cyborg explained. “Nobody knows who she is, she started calling me out for people to put attention on her. This is a marketing strategy for them. I don’t believe she had an intention to fight me, to face me in a fight.
“Kayla Harrison, same thing. She was in PFL, I was in Bellator, she called me out all the time. Said my name all the time. She put some [spotlight] on top of her and then never wanted to fight. As soon as I signed with PFL, she left to go to UFC and running from me.”
Quotes via MMA Fighting
