Bellator president Scott Coker feels the UFC dropped the ball on Cris Cyborg’s weight class.
Cyborg competed under the UFC banner from May 2016 to July 2019. Throughout her time with the promotion, Cyborg made it clear that she still wasn’t enamored with UFC president Dana White or Joe Rogan for their jokes years prior questioning her gender. Cyborg’s relationship with the UFC ended after the promotion decided not to match offers from other promotions. She ended up signing with Bellator.
Coker Talks Commitment To Cyborg’s Weight Class
One of the troubles Cyborg had in the UFC was the promotion’s willingness to open a women’s 145-pound weight class. Cyborg had to cut down to 140 pounds for her first two UFC bouts. Speaking to MMAFighting.com‘s Damon Martin, Coker said that Cyborg won’t have to worry about that in Bellator.
“It’s our job to keep her active, which I think we’ll be very successful,” Coker said. “I think really she hasn’t been active because I don’t think the UFC has ever been [committed] to the 145-pound weight class division, that’s not they’re business. They’re in the business of the lighter weights but I don’t think they ever made the commitment to blow up the 145-pound weight class.
“The difference is we are in the 145-pound weight class female division, we’re in the business of females in that weight class.”
