Bellator women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg said in a recent interview that “the best thing for my career was leaving the UFC.”
Cyborg was once the UFC women’s featherweight champion, but after beating Felicia Spencer at UFC 240 in July 2019, UFC president Dana White released her from her contract after not being able to come to an agreement on a rematch with Amanda Nunes. Cyborg then became a free agent and, not long after that, she signed with Bellator. She has since become the Bellator women’s 145lbs champion as she has continued to dominate her foes.
Speaking to AG Fight, Cyborg admitted that she has no issues with leaving the UFC for Bellator. As far as Cyborg goes, it was the best thing that has happened to her in MMA.
“The best thing for my career was leaving the UFC. I have another thought and direction for my future. Anything connected with me Dana White is going to get in trouble because he doesn’t like people who go up against him. He likes people who say amen to him and I’m not like that. I have my principles and I follow them. It’s hard to work with people like that. You don’t have to accept it, but respect it,” Cyborg said.
The Brazilian legend then added that she has a great working relationship with Bellator Scott Coker while criticizing the way that White handles his own fighters in the UFC.
“We (me and Scott Coker) are working partners. We both want to grow together. So it works. The relationship that I had with Dana White and that a lot of athletes have, you see Jon Jones, it’s not a partnership. People want to take advantage of other athletes. Without the athletes, the event doesn’t happen,” Cyborg said.
Do you agree with Cris Cyborg that she made the right choice leaving the UFC?