UFC president Dana White says he’s on the same page with Amanda Nunes. But Cris Cyborg? Not so much.
LAS VEGAS – According to UFC president Dana White, he’s on the same page with champion Amanda Nunes.
Dana White and Cris Cyborg on the other hand? Not so much.
Following Saturday night’s UFC 239 event in Las Vegas, White displayed interest in a second meeting between dual champion Nunes and former champ Cyborg. But he said only one of the fighters involved is 100 percent interested in the matchup.
“(Nunes) wants the Cyborg rematch,” White said. “We’re down to make the Cyborg rematch. Cyborg always thinks that I’m being whatever to her or whatever. I’m not. I don’t blame Cyborg for not wanting this fight. I don’t blame her. I’m not trying to say anything about her. If she doesn’t want it, that’s fine. There’s always somebody else. (Nunes) has got both belts and she’s willing to defend them both. And she’s healthy.”
White then struck comparisons between Nunes and other past and current double champions. Unlike many of Nunes’ fellow “champ champs,” the Brazilian has what it takes to defend both belts simultaneously, White said.
“You guys were asking me a million times leading into the (Henry) Cejudo fight (at UFC 238) and other fights that we’ve done this with,” White said. “‘What if they have both belts and can’t defend them?’ And I’ll go in and I’ll say they have to give up one belt. We gave them the opportunity. We thought they could do it. Even when you look at Cejudo … what he did in that second round (against Marlon Moraes), what he came back from, was unbelievable. But he got hurt in that fight. He’s out now.
“… (Nunes is) fighting all the best in the world – destroying them. And she’s not hurt. I just saw her skipping down the hallway in the back when I was walking here. She’s in the best mood. This woman is tough, man. She’s unbelievable – pound-for-pound, one of the greatest of all time. But there will be somebody next. If Cyborg doesn’t want the fight, then there’s somebody next.”
In a pair of tweets issued Sunday morning, Cyborg responded to White. In the first, Cyborg questioned why the women’s featherweight division has not expanded. In the second tweet, the former UFC women’s featherweight champion expressed her dislike for White’s comments that she didn’t want the fight.
Both tweets can be seen below:
The first meeting between Nunes and Cyborg took place at UFC 232 in December 2018. Nunes rocked Cyborg early, then finished her off 51 seconds into the first round.
For complete coverage of UFC 239, check out the UFC Results.
