Cris Cyborg details how her relationship with Dana White is at present
Cris Cyborg’s relationship with Dana White has been turbulent to say the least. The former UFC women's featherweight champion recently discussed the nature of her relationship with White, claiming that she has nothing against him.
During the second half of Cyborg's UFC stint, things turned sour between the Brazilian and the UFC president. The animosity between the duo was clear as day, and most likely played a major role in her eventual exit from the promotion.
In a recent interview with Canal Encarada, Cyborg said:
“I have nothing against him. Surely, If I see him on the street I will greet him. I don’t hold a grudge, right? I think it’s something we have to evolve… So like, actually I believe that time passed… It’s all quiet. I think I’ve evolved as an athlete and a person.” [Translation from Portuguese Courtesy of Brazilian MMA Legends YouTube channel]
Watch Cris Cyborg talk about her relationship with Dana White below:
Cris Cyborg joined the UFC in 2016 after cleaning out Invicta FC's featherweight division. The Dana White-led promotion didn't have a 145-pound weight class at the time, and as a result, Cyborg's first two fights were 140-pound catchweight bouts. She clearly couldn't make the bantamweight limit of 135 pounds and a featherweight division was subsequently added.
Cyborg won the featherweight title in 2017 and defended it twice before losing to Amanda Nunes. She graced the octagon one final time against Felicia Spencer before moving over to Bellator MMA.
White famously claimed that he was desperate to release Cyborg from her contract as he didn't want her in his promotion anymore.
Dana White announced today in an interview that the UFC is "out of the Cyborg business" https://t.co/sJlXyBmFMX
Cris Cyborg targets a boxing bout
Cris Cyborg hopes to realize her dream of stepping inside the boxing ring at some point down the line. The Bellator MMA titleholder was present at Madison Square Garden when Katie Taylor defeated Amanda Serrano earlier this year and was clearly inspired by the incredible fight.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Cyborg shared that she had the opportunity to train in most combat sports except pure boxing throughout her career. She reiterated her desire to compete in the squared circle before retiring for good, saying:
“Before I finish my career, for sure it's one of my dreams to box… I did MMA. I did wrestling, Muay Thai, jiu-jitsu but never had the opportunity to do boxing.”
After being ringside for #TaylorSerrano, @criscyborg has a career in boxing in her sights 👀 https://t.co/cD4JuY0TOQ
Scott Coker, the president of Bellator MMA, is open to allowing fighters the opportunity to compete outside his promotion, making a boxing outing for Cyborg all the more plausible.