UFC 232 featured arguably the most shocking moment of 2018 if not the history of the UFC when Amanda Nunes smoked Cris Cyborg in the very first round via KO/TKO, handing Cyborg her first loss in 13 years. Following the bout, Cyborg requested a rematch, but according to both Dana White and Amanda Nunes, she got her wish yet opted not to accept it:
“She was offered,” Amanda Nunes said on Eyes of the Game. “We were supposed to fight for sure. She turned down the rematch. She was the one who turned down the rematch.”
Amanda Nunes went on to state that she intends on defending both the bantamweight and the featherweight championships moving forward, which could still include a rematch against Cris Cyborg. Dana White echoed Amanda Nunes’ claim that Cyborg turned down a rematch in an interview with BT Sport last week:
“She’s facing Holly Holm now, another one of the greats she’s ever fought before,” White said. “And then what she really wants is a rematch with Cyborg. I said that the other night and Cyborg goes crazy or whatever. We offered her that fight and Cyborg turned it down. And I don’t blame her for turning it down. I’m not saying anything negative about her. Nunes is a beast, man. She’s the best. She’s the best female fighter ever. She looks unbelievable. And she just keeps getting better every time she fights. And she’s one of the best fighters in the world.”
Cris Cyborg posted a video on Twitter of herself watching this interview for Dana White in which she labeled White’s claim as “Number 1 bullshit” along with the following captions:
“If we are suppose to be business partners and building trust so that we can work towards a new deal Let’s stop the lies. @danawhite @paradigmsm #CyborgNation @ufc @espnmma @Amanda_Leoa”
Cris Cyborg has one fight remaining on her current UFC contract, which is scheduled to be against Felicia Spencer at UFC 240. It is possible that she was offered a rematch with Amanda Nunes on the condition that she re-sign with the promotion, Cyborg declined, and then the UFC/Amanda Nunes considered that to be turning down the fight. This scenario is just speculation and has not been explicitly stated by none of the parties involved.
What’s your take on Dana White and Amanda Nunes’s claim that Cris Cyborg turned down a rematch with Nunes and Cyborg’s subsequent denial?
