Bellator women’s featherweight champion and MMA pioneer Cris Cyborg feels Ronda Rousey left the sport with plenty more to still give.
Cyborg is set to make her professional boxing debut against Simone Silva at Fight Music Show on September 25th. She still plans on competing in MMA and eventually returning to Bellator to defend her 145lb belt.
Before Cyborg found success in Bellator, she made a name for herself in Invicta FC, Strikeforce, and the UFC. During her stint fighting in the UFC Octagon, talks of a super fight between herself and Rousey were a hot topic, but a matchup never came to reality.
While the fight never materialized, Cyborg and Rousey went back and forth and became one of the most heated rivalries in the sport. This included Rousey harshly criticizing Cyborg’s past PED use and Cyborg promising to break Rousey’s face if they fought.
Rousey retired from MMA following back-to-back stunning losses to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes. She has enjoyed a new chapter of her combat sports career in professional wrestling.
Despite Rousey’s recent dismissals of an MMA comeback, Cyborg feels Rousey has unfinished business in the cage.
Cris Cyborg Hopes Ronda Rousey Returns To Fighting
During a recent interview with InsideFighting, Cyborg gave her thoughts on Rousey’s legacy.
“I wish the best for Ronda, she did great [things] for MMA,” Cyborg said of Rousey. “I think it’s sad when you lose and you stop fighting and you go to WWE. I think you have to show your fans that even if you lose, you can come back and overcome your struggle. I believe maybe [if] she’s coming back, it would be great for history.”
Cyborg opined about the probability of Rousey returning and whether or not she still has an interest in a fight with the former UFC superstar.
“I think she said she would maybe go back to fight Gina Carano. I don’t think [a fight between us] is ever going to happen,” Cyborg said. “In my mind, the time it was supposed to happen, she didn’t want it.”
Before her consecutive UFC losses, Rousey was an unstoppable force in women’s MMA. She helped bring women toward the forefront of the sport and is a major reason why women now headline some MMA events.
Cyborg seems to have moved past a potential showdown with Rousey, though she’s hopeful the fellow MMA legend will end her career in a winning fashion.
Do you agree with Cris Cyborg’s comments on Ronda Rousey?