Cris Cyborg’s relationship with the UFC continues to be a fairly strenuous affair.
After finally getting her issue with USADA resolved, and being retroactively deemed to have the banned substance Spironolactone in her system fairly, the woman regarded as the best female 145-pounder in the world is getting bored of sitting on the sidelines.
Cyborg, who recently announced she was relinquishing the Invicta Women’s featherweight title, as well as her intention to face Germaine de Randamie for the UFC’s equivalent, has taken to her twitter to demand a fight from the UFC — or for them to release her.
2 weeks my manager call @seanshelby about my next fight but no news! @ufc if you don't want to fight me, release me! #letsgochamp @danawhite pic.twitter.com/E5uzl9Z36l
— #UFC214 #LetsGoChamp (@criscyborg) April 14, 2017
It’s a sudden and drastic demand.
While a fight with de Randamie makes sense, and is likely the move the UFC are looking to make, the Dutchwoman has been quiet since her victory (and title win) at UFC 208. After defeating Holly Holm, de Randamie said she may require surgery on her hand, and there has yet to have been an update on that condition.
If her absence is set to continue following surgery, then Cyborg doesn’t have many more options.
She’s already ruled out any interest in an interim title, and the only other 145-pound women’s fighter the UFC have used is Holm, who’s just been booked in a bantamweight fight against Bethe Correia.
So if an interim belt isn’t an option, and de Randamie is out, then it’s quite the conundrum for the UFC — although any chances of Cyborg being granted a release seem slim.