In a couple of days, Holly Holm will step into the Octagon to try and dethrone the dominant Cris Cyborg and take her featherweight title. Having beat Ronda Rousey at the top of her career, a win over Cyborg will put her as the best women’s fighter of all time and the first ever women’s two-division champion. Add that to her boxing accolades and it’s hard to argue for anyone else. However, there is one other fighter who has given Rousey a loss: Current UFC bantamweight champ Amanda Nunes. Who is also ready to cement her place as the best female fighter on the planet by beating whoever comes out on top this Saturday.
“We have the utmost respect for [Cris] Cyborg and [Holly] Holm, it’d be a great fight with either one, but we believe Amanda [Nunes] could be champion in both divisions, because she has all the tools for that. She is an extremely well rounded fighter and has been showing that she does deserve to face the winner. That’s our main focus for 2018. Of course we know she has no way to defend two belts, but that decision would be taken after her fight against the Cyborg vs. Holm winner.” — American Top Team coach Conan Silveira speaking to Portal do Vale Tudo.
I asked @DinThomas if he would expect @Amanda_Leoa to jump up to 145 and take on the winner of Holm/Cyborg and he said “absolutely”
— Mike Pendleton (@MP2310) December 22, 2017
“I don’t agree with this fight. I think we could each just stay with our belts, representing Brazil. I wouldn’t like to fight another Brazilian. I always rooted for Amanda, but if it’s something she wants, and her coach wants, I’m ready to fight. If it happens, OK. I’m here to fight and whatever the UFC wants. Who knows? The fans will be divided on fight night, but it’s our job.”— Cyborg speaking to MMA Junkie in response.
As you can see from her response above, Cris Cyborg isn’t fond of the idea of Amanda Nunes coming up and challenging a fellow Brazilian for her title. She has her eyes on giving Megan Anderson the shot she lost out on, but she’d still fight Nunes if that’s what the UFC decides. Nunes herself has been critical of the UFC’s promotion methods and flat out claimed the UFC wants to find someone who can beat her. It seems she’s trying to do the work for them. Not only is a win — resulting in two belts — a great feather in the cap of her career, but it gives her the leverage perhaps she doesn’t feel she has now. With her six-fight win streak, including victories over Rousey, Miesha Tate, and Valentina Shevchenko, she’s already beaten the rest of the best in the world.
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) December 21, 2017
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 12/28/2017.