Cris Cyborg Responds to Dana White, Announces Plan to Test Free-Agent Market

Following suggestions that she doesn’t want a rematch with Amanda Nunes, Cris Cyborg clears things up and makes her contractual status clear.

After being publicly criticized by Dana White again, Cris Cyborg is already aware of her plan following UFC 240.

Set to take on Felicia Spencer in Edmonton Canada on July 27th, Cyborg is now heading into the final fight on her UFC contract. In her last outing, Cyborg suffered her first defeat in over a decade, being stopped by Amanda Nunes in just 51 seconds. When asked about a potential rematch this past weekend, Dana White was unsure, suggesting that Cyborg isn’t interested in running it back.

Unsurprisingly though, the woman herself views things differently, clearing the matter up on ESPN’s ‘Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.’ “Funny. I was at home watching the press conference and I cannot believe Dana White said that. He knows, I text him a day after the fight, after the post conference, I said ‘I want the rematch.’ You know what he’s trying to do, he’s trying to damage my brand. Saying ‘ah Cris is scared, Cris don’t want the fight,’” she said.

“People who follow me, people who followed the beginning of my career know who I am. I’m not afraid of anybody, I was training hard and everybody knows I asked for the rematch after that fight. It it doesn’t happen, it’s because he said no.”

Nonetheless, Cyborg will soon have an opportunity to change her situation, announcing an intent to test the free-agency market after the fight with Spencer. “I’m focused now really for my next fight in Canada with Felicia. Gonna be the last fight on my contract. My manager will deal with UFC because they refused to pay my flight and my coach’s flight from South Africa to Canada,” Cyborg said.

“They don’t want to pay like $3000 to fly and then now they say about I don’t want a rematch. Come on son.” Either way, Cyborg’s perspective is clear, looking to find out her own value after all. “I hear a lot from the people who work at UFC that say, ‘ah Cris, you not have value . . . you have no value in Brazil. You have no value for UFC.’

“I want to feel after my next fight, I have too wait a little while, a little bit and I want to see other promoters. I want to see how much value I have. I think it’s cool you see that . . . let’s see.”

For Helwani’s full interview with Cyborg, click here.