Germaine de Randamie isn’t down with the notion that she is ducking Cris Cyborg.
At UFC 208 inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, Germaine de Randamie became the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title holder. “The Iron Lady” defeated Holly Holm by unanimous decision in a foul-marred bout that left many pointing fingers at two late hits from de Randamie.
To make matters worse, the champion brought up a hand injury from 2015 when color commentator Joe Rogan mentioned Cyborg as the likely number one contender. On MMAFighting.com’s “The MMA Hour” (via MMAMania.com), de Randamie cleared the air in regards to her stance on fighting Cyborg:
“I’ve said I need surgery on my hand, that’s inevitable. But I never said I need surgery right now. Am I going to have permanent damage if I fight again? That is something I have to evaluate with my doctor. I truly apologize for not making that clear, but I don’t run away from anybody. I knew Cyborg was there and there is no reason for me to run, everyone is beatable and it is an honor for me to fight such a great champion like Cyborg. I am not running. But at this point, I do believe Holly deserves the rematch.”
With her title victory, de Randamie has now won three bouts in a row. She hasn’t suffered a defeat since getting finished by current women’s UFC bantamweight title holder Amanda Nunes. That bout occurred back in Nov. 2013.
Cyborg hasn’t lost a professional mixed martial arts (MMA) bout since May 2005. That was her first pro bout. She was submitted in the first round by Erica Paes. Since that fight, she has gone 17-0 with one no contest. Cyborg is still officially the Invicta FC champion, but she’d like to add UFC gold to her collection.
