Germaine de Randamie isn’t concerned with those claiming she is ducking Cris Cyborg.
“The Iron Lady” became the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s featherweight champion at UFC 209 earlier this month. She defeated Holly Holm in a foul-marred bout to capture the title. While the fight and the event in general was considered to be bizarre by many, things only got more confusing during de Randamie’s post-fight interview.
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan stepped inside the Octagon to speak with the newly crowned champion. When Rogan mentioned Cyborg as the next likely contender, de Randamie mentioned a hand injury.
This left many fans thinking de Randamie was making an excuse. The champion has denied she is ducking Cyborg. “The Iron Lady” said it boils down to whether or not she wants to risk permanent damage being done to her hand or undergo surgery first.
On top of that, de Randamie has said she believes Holm deserves a title rematch before Cyborg gets her shot.
As far as mentioning the hand injury right after winning the 145-pound gold, de Randamie wouldn’t change how she addressed it (via MMAFighting.com):
“Absolutely not, I don’t regret a thing of that because, you know, the thing is that I said that I needed surgery on my hand, and that’s the inevitable. I’ve never said, do I have to have the surgery right now? AM I going to have permanent damage if I fight again? That’s something I need to evaluate with my doctor. I apologize, I truly apologize for not making that clear, but I don’t run away from anybody. I knew Cyborg was there, and Cyborg is still in there. There is no reason for me to run, everybody is beatable, and it would be an honor for me to fight such a great champion in Cris ‘Cyborg.’ I’m not running, but at this point I do believe Holly [Holm] deserves the rematch.”
