Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes has explained the holdup in fighting Cris Cyborg.
There was some confusion over the proposed date for Nunes vs. the UFC women’s featherweight champion. Cyborg said she was offered a September date, but Nunes declined. “The Lioness” responded by posting an image of a signed contract for UFC 232 in December.
This bothers Cyborg as she wants to stay active. The 145-pound title holder has even said that after fighting Nunes, she’s likely to be done with the UFC. Time will tell if that ends up holding true.
During a recent appearance on ESPN‘s Ariel Helwani MMA Show, Nunes explained why the bout with Cyborg will not take place two months from now:
“We need some time to promote this fight. I still can’t kick very well; I still can’t run very well. I’m better, but I still need time for therapy.”
Nunes’ last bout was a successful title defense against Raquel Pennington. Nunes battered “Rocky” on her way to a fifth-round TKO finish. Cyborg also had a successful title defense her last time out. She earned a first-round TKO victory over Yana Kunitskaya.
Despite the fact that Nunes vs. Cyborg isn’t official, betting odds have already surfaced. Cyborg is an early favorite at -220, while Nunes sits as a +180 underdog.
Many media members and fans are in agreement that Nunes vs. Cyborg is the next move to make. Nunes doesn’t have any clear contenders as Holly Holm, who has gone 1-3 in her last four bantamweight bouts, is the number one ranked female 135-pounder. In Cyborg’s case, there isn’t even a top 15 featherweight ranking. After Holm defeated Megan Anderson, the option for Cyborg vs. Anderson went out the window.
Do you think December is too far for Amanda Nunes vs. Cris Cyborg to take place?
