Issue 173

December 2018

Already regarded by many as the greatest female fighter of all time, Cris Cyborg puts it all on the line in December when she faces fellow Brazilian Amanda Nunes. 

Cris Cyborg

• UFC Women’s featherweight champion
• Age: 34
• Record: 21-2-0, 1NC
• Team: Chute Boxe/ The Arena
• From: Curitiba, Brazil

UFC featherweight Cris Cyborg is on a one-woman mission to be recognized as the greatest female fighter of all time, but if you think it’s a goal she has set purely for personal glory, you’d be sorely mistaken.

The Brazilian has established herself as one of the most dominant fighters on the planet with a 21-fight unbeaten streak that stretches all the way back to November 2015. After dominating the competition in both Strikeforce and then Invicta FC, Cyborg signed for the UFC in 2016 since when she has blown away all competition.

With five wins out of five now under the UFC banner and the 145-pound women’s strap on her shoulder, Cyborg’s next opportunity to further cement her legacy will come on December 29 at UFC 232 when she faces the UFC women’s bantamweight champion, Amanda Nunes. The fight presents a rare champion vs champion showdown in the UFC Octagon and the opportunity for both women to make UFC history. Whilst a lot of UFC champions in the modern era would be happy with this billing, Cyborg never originally pursued a fight with Nunes.

“I’ve always wanted to fight the girls in my weight class first because I had the goal of making this division and making sure it continues to grow,” Cyborg explains. “I didn’t just want to fight girls at 135-pounds and the other thing too is that we are both Brazilian and I think that Brazilians should defend their country and not fight each other.

“She was the one that was calling me out and she wanted this fight,” Cyborg continues. “She wanted the fight in December, then January, then she wanted a year to train and then defend her title another time in the year. The only reason I asked for a fight before December was because it was a long time without fighting.”

Fighting a fellow Brazilian doesn’t sit well with Cyborg, but with Nunes calling for the fight for well over a year, the two always seemed destined to share the Octagon. Whilst going to toe-to-toe with a fellow countrywoman isn’t her ideal scenario, Cyborg feels Nunes has overstepped the mark and that the people of Brazil will gravitate towards her come December 29, 2018.

“I think all of Brazil is going to be with me for this fight,” Cyborg says. “There are a lot of people that don’t agree with this fight, but they know that I wasn’t the one that asked for this fight, she asked for it. Other people just can’t understand it. They will be with me because they know I didn’t ask for it.

“We should defend our flag, we shouldn’t want to fight other Brazilians,” Cyborg continues. “We are representing Brazil, but for her, it obviously doesn’t matter. If you see the team and where she’s coming from you will see that the teammates fight each other and this all means nothing. In Brazil, this is very different, and people are very close. I think they will agree with it because it’s Brazil vs Brazil, but she’s asked for it so now I’m going to teach her some respect.”

Whilst the superfight with Nunes has become personal, Cyborg insists that come fight night it will be all business. Defending her UFC women’s featherweight title for the third time remains the primary objective and she believes that if she’s purely focused on herself then it will be her that gets her hand raised come December 2018. “For me, this is just one more fight and I don’t look at it as champion vs champion,” Cyborg reasons. “I just wanted to defend my belt and that’s it.

“I have to be wary of what she brings to the table, but most importantly just be myself,” Cyborg continues. “I have to make sure my training is on point and we have to prepare for everything in the fight. I really don’t care what she is going to do in the fight, all that matters is what Igoing to do.”

Remaining the champion is understandably important to Cyborg, but perhaps not for the selfish reasons you would first assume. The Brazilian knows that being a UFC titleholder gives her the opportunity to spread her message on a level she wouldn’t otherwise have and being able to help other people is something she values above anything else.

“I think I’m doing a lot for this sport and building this division for the future of women’s MMA,” Cyborg says. “I just wanted to show all my fans and people around the world that you have to work hard to achieve success and I think I’ve proved that.

“Of course, I also want to defend my belt and be successful doing that, but it’s not just about being a world champion in the UFC,” she continues. “I think it’s important to be a champion in life too and that’s just as important to me. This for me is one of the biggest reasons why I want to remain a champion, so I can help these people. As a champion, I have a big platform and you can use this platform to help people.” In the cage, Cyborg is known as one of the most ruthless female fighters of all time, but outside of it, there are few who pay it forward to the extent that she does. From teaching women self-defence to frequently visiting hospitals to bring smiles to those suffering, the Brazilian’s influence touches many and she wants it to be a lasting part of legacy when she hangs up the 4oz. gloves.

“I do my Pink Belt Fitness classes with the girls and I work with them whether they are fighters or not,” Cyborg explains. “I want to be an inspiration for them and introduce them to mixed martial arts and the sport. In those classes I don’t really make any money, I just want to help people.

“I also like to visit the cancer hospital in Brazil where I try to help the community with that project,” she adds. “I think this is most important to me. I don’t want people to remember me as just a UFC champion. I want to change lives, help people and make a difference.” Despite having achieved so much already in her career, Cyborg still believes there’s plenty left for her to accomplish. Ronda Rousey recently became the first woman to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, but this isn’t an accolade that Cyborg is going to chase.

When it comes to fighting, the Brazilian simply wants to make her mark on the sport with her performances inside the Octagon and leave little doubt in anyone’s mind that she’s one of the greatest of all time.

“There are a lot of politics when it comes to the Hall of Fame,” Cyborg argues. “We all know Ronda isn’t the best fighter of all time. She lost twice and then quit, but still got in the Hall of Fame. “For me, it doesn’t matter,” she continues. “I just want to do my best inside the cage and let people know who the real fighter is and show who is really the best. Whatever they put in the media about Ronda, this is something we don’t control. I just have to continue fighting and to do my best inside the cage and prove I’m the best that way.” Cyborg will headline her third UFC pay-per-view of the year at UFC 232 when she faces Nunes in Las Vegas.

*Article written in 2018*

Afterword: 

• Cyborg faced Felicia Spencer on July 27, 2019 at UFC 240.
• Following the fight against Spencer, which was the last fight on her contract, UFC president Dana White announced that the UFC would not negotiate a new contract with Cyborg.
• On September 3, 2019, it was announced Cyborg had signed a multi-fight deal with Bellator MMA.