The UFC women’s featherweight division is in disarray. Since winning the inaugural title with a controversial January decision over Holly Holm, reigning champ Germaine de Randamie has been something of a ghost, revealing little in the way of information as to when or who she might fight next. At the same time, former Invicta champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino – the consensus best fighter in the division – has been chomping at the bit for a shot at the absentee champion, while reigning Invicta featherweight queen Megan Anderson has been patiently waiting to get the call for her UFC debut. As I said, disarray.
On this Monday afternoon, the chaos-ridden division seems to have gotten a sorely needed injection of order.
During a Skype interview on the latest edition of The MMA Hour, Invicta champ Megan Anderson said outright that, if the UFC offers her the chance, she will gladly fight Cyborg at UFC 214 this July 29. Shortly after Anderson agreed to do so, Cyborg called into the show to confirm that, if no title shot against De Randamie is going to materialize, she’d love to fight Anderson at UFC 214. Cyborg, of course, has not made any secret of this fact over the last few weeks.
“I’ve always expressed interest in taking the next step up to the UFC,” Anderson said on the show. “We haven’t been approached about doing that, so I think really it’s on them to come to us and say ‘hey let’s start negotiating.’ I feel like this is the fight that should have happened and I think now’s the time. If Germaine isn’t going to be able to do it, let’s crown the people’s champ.”
advertisement – continue reading below“I don’t need any more time. I’m fine for July 29,” Anderson added later. “Let’s do it.”
“I’ll fight [Cyborg] regardless,” she said of whether a belt should be on the line in a fight with Cyborg. “It should of been us [that fought for the inaugural title], it wasn’t, that’s fine, let’s do it now.”
So, there it is. Cyborg has said for some time that a UFC 214 bout with Anderson would be a solid consolation prize if De Randamie is not available, and now Anderson has agreed. It now seems as simple as mailing out the contracts. The UFC will just need to decide if the bout is for the undisputed title, an interim title, or simply to keep their newest division moving.
Who do you think wins this Megan Anderson vs. “Cyborg” fight?
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/1/2017.