Cris Cyborg Welcomes Opportunity To Land Amanda Nunes Rematch Before Retirement
Ahead of her Bellator return later this month in Hawaii – reigning featherweight titleholder, Cris Cyborg has welcomed the opportunity to avenge her 2018 knockout loss to former two-weight UFC champion, Amanda Nunes – before eventually calling time on her professional career.
Cris Cyborg, 25-2(1) as a professional, initially met with compatriot, Nunes back in December 2018 in the co-main event of UFC 232 – suffering a one-sided first round knockout loss against the then-bantamweight champion, dropping her undisputed featherweight crown.
In the time since, however, Cyborg has embarked on a five-fight winning run – rebounding initially in the UFC with a unanimous decision win over the now-retired, Felicia Spencer, before joining Bellator MMA in late 2020.
Debuting under the Scott Coker-led organizational banner, the Curitiba veteran stopped undisputed featherweight champion, Julia Budd with an eventual fourth round knockout – before then landing a trio of successful title defenses against Arlene Blencowe, Leslie Smith, and most recently in November – stopped Sinead Kavanagh in a first round knockout.
Set to feature at Bellator 279 later this month in the promotion’s return to Hawaii – Cyborg draws New Zealand veteran, Blencowe in a title rematch.
Cris Cyborg had enjoyed a 13-year undefeated run before her 2018 loss to Amanda Nunes
With her contract with the promotion likely coming to an end before the culmination of this year, Cyborg welcomed the possibility of squaring off against UFC featherweight best, Nunes again in the future – potentially under the scrutiny of another promotion.
“Yes, of course!” Cris Cyborg said of a rematch with Amanda Nunes during an interview with TMZ Sports. “In the beginning – after the loss, I said I want the rematch. But, you know – we don’t (make a) deal together, and we don’t like to – don’t deal with, or make that happen – you never know, you never know in the future. Only God knows.”
“For sure, maybe in a different organization, maybe we’re gonna make the fight happen, I don’t know,” Cris Cyborg said.
In her time since her knockout victory over Cyborg – which minted Nunes as a two-weight UFC champion, the Bahia native added four more professional wins over Holly Holm, Germaine de Randamie, Felicia Spencer, and then Megan Anderson – before suffering a shocking second round rear-naked choke loss to Julianna Pena in December of last year, dropping her undisputed bantamweight crown.
Retaining the featherweight title, Nunes recently completed her coaching obligations with Pena head of The Ultimate Fighter 30 – with the two slated to meet in a bantamweight title rematch later this year.
