Cris Cyborg believes her rivalry with fellow former Ultimate Fighting Championship star Ronda Rousey stemmed from the latter’s reluctance to face her at the height of their careers.
The current Professional Fighters League champion claims Rousey had every opportunity to accept a super-fight during her prime but chose not to.
The history behind the UFC superfight fans wanted between Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey
Cyborg reflected on her rivalry with Rousey in a new interview with Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso ahead of her retirement bout against Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa. The Brazilian legend also noted that if “Rowdy” wouldn’t fight her when they were both active and winning, she definitely wouldn’t accept a fight now.
“That was something the fans put together. Ronda had the opportunity to fight me when she was at her peak, and she didn’t want to,” Cyborg explained of a fan-made poster that was rumored to be genuine. “If she didn’t want it in her prime, imagine now.”
She also emphasized that their rivalry was based on Rousey’s fear instead of mutual animosity.
A middleweight title fight headlines PFL Austin: Tune on Saturday, July 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
“I think fear eventually turned into rivalry,” she added. “I never did anything to her. In fact, Dana himself used to say that once Ronda beat Holly, her next fight would be against Cyborg. But then she lost, got really upset, decided to retire, and now she’s back alongside Gina.”
Rousey put together a stellar 12-0 record and compiled seven title defenses in the UFC before getting finished in back-to-back bouts against Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes, which marked the beginning of a 10-year hiatus from MMA. The former UFC champion returned to winning ways against Gina Carano earlier this year under the Most Valuable Promotions banner.
