Holly Holm Explains Why She Ducked Cris Cyborg
Holly Holm has received a bit of criticism from the mixed martial arts (MMA) community as of late for refusing to step in and face Cris Cyborg after saying that she would.
Looking at Cyborg and her long-running unbeaten streak, it is easy to see where fear might be a core motivator for the former UFC Champ, but Holly Holm insists that had nothing to do with it, and that the Holm-Cyborg fight could happen eventually.
In a new interview with 120 Sports, Holly explained that the timing just wasn’t right.
“I was just kind of holding on to see if I could get the rematch for the belt,” she said. “I’m not against fighting Cyborg. It just didn’t seem like the right time.”
@HollyHolm explains turning down Cyborg fight, now welcomes catchweight bout.https://t.co/xpNn9ij1Gh
— BJ PENN (@bjpenndotcom) May 19, 2016
As UFC fans will remember, the Holly Holm Cinderella story, which began after knocking out Ronda Rousey at UFC 193, came to a screeching halt with her first title defense against the experienced MMA veteran Miesha Tate, a two-time Rousey victim.
After a rough Round 2 in which Tate dominated, Holm was able to put together a winning performance until getting caught in a chokehold in the closing moments of Round 5.
While she would succumb to Tate’s strength and lose her title, she won respect from a lot of fans by not tapping out, but rather passing out and even continuing to throw punches as she did so.
It is scenes like that one which will probably have fans accepting her explanation about why she backtracked on the chance to fight Cyborg in her debut. (The fight was offered, according to Bleacher Report.)
Cyborg instead made short work of Leslie Smith (as in 81 seconds of short work) and is already moving on to another opponent, which she insists will be an Invicta FC title defense.
The UFC has indicated they might have room for her at UFC 201 on July 30, in which she would take on bantamweight contender Germaine de Randamie.
If Cyborg defends her belt instead, which likely won’t happen, she doesn’t plan to give UFC the upper hand at the bargaining table as indicated with these comments reported by MMA Mania.
“I’m a champion at 145 [pounds]. The UFC doesn’t have my division; that’s fine! But they don’t have the right to erase my division. No point in trying to manipulate my fans, I’ll be defending my belt next fight! I’ve proven I can make 140 [pounds]. I did my part. It was very hard to make 140 [pounds]. I had to train [three] times a day, and I’m doing a documentary that will soon be online for you to see. In all the press I had to do for my last fight I couldn’t take my belt to show I’m champion. I was forbidden.”
It definitely sounds like there is still some hostility between Cris Cyborg and the UFC (more specifically, the organization’s President, Dana White).
That said, both entities would be missing out on big opportunities if they refused to work with one another. With the Tate loss of Holly Holm, Tate’s two losses to Rousey, and Rousey’s devastating loss to Holm, Cyborg stands alone as the seemingly unstoppable force in women’s MMA.
The UFC could likely make big money fights between Cyborg and all three of their household names. Should none of the women be successful, they would have a built-in pay-per-view attraction in Cris Cyborg for as long as her unbeaten streak holds.
With that big of a target on her back, it may seem surprising that most of her competition (sans Rousey) likes her as a person.
In fact, Holly Holm said in her interview that she would be willing to meet Cyborg in the future at a 140-pound catchweight — something Rousey refused to do during her championship run — and said, “I’m actually really happy for her victory (over Smith). I really like Cyborg. I think she’s a great gal.”
https://youtu.be/XJc7t9zx4vA
What do you think, readers?
Will Holly Holm and Cris Cyborg face off in the next year? And who would you like to see her face more than anyone else? Sound off in the comments section below.
[Image via Holly Holm/Facebook]
