Cris “Cyborg” Justino discusses possible title fight with Germaine de Randamie

Over the last few weeks, consensus-best female featherweight Cris “Cyborg” Justino has been campaigning for a  fight with UFC featherweight queen Germaine De Randamie. Cyborg is hoping to make this fight happen at UFC 214, which is scheduled for July 29 inside Anaheim’s Honda Center.

Responding to BJPenn.com’s Tom Taylor, Cyborg explained that at the moment, there’s no indication that her desired fight will occur at UFC 214.

“I have not heard from the UFC about whether De Randamie will be ready to fight in July yet,” the featherweight star said. “I do not want an interim belt, but if she is not healthy I would be willing to fight someone else for the chance to fight in Anaheim.”

“I am glad to see the UFC has created the 145-pound division,” Cyborg continued. “I was given doctor’s orders to let my body recover from extreme weight cuts to 140 pounds, which was why I could not fight [De Randamie] last January in Anaheim. After four years away from the 145-pound division, and being ranked number-10 in the world at bantamweight, De Randamie made her return to featherweight, and handed Holly Holm her third straight loss. Now that my body is healthy and strong I am ready to defend my world number-one ranking and I am I’m hoping the number-one challenger [De Randamie] accepts my UFC 214 challenge.”

Cyborg then offered up an assessment of De Randamie’s skills, and explained how she believes a fight with the champ would go.

“She is a talented striker,” Cyborg said.  “I think if she was a little more aggressive she could have finished the fight against Holm. I look forward to showing my Muay Thai has improved a lot since the loss to Jorina Baars [in Muay Thai competition], and I think this fight is the perfect opportunity to show that. I have not won a [Fight of the Night] bonus in the UFC yet, and I think she is the type of opponent who can make for one of these classic fights that fans will talk about for many years.”

Finally, Cyborg addressed the recent comments of MMA legend turned commentator Bas Rutten, who applauded De Randamie’s skill and suggested she could hang with Cyborg on the feet.

“Bas has to support a Dutch champion,” Cyborg explained. “De Randamie is a very talented striker, but she has never fought anyone like me. The combined UFC record of all the girls she has beaten is three wins against nine losses, with all three wins belonging to Holly Holm.  She has been beaten by Bellator [featherweight] champion Julia Budd and [UFC] bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. I feel confident that when we fight, fans will see why I have been undefeated for ten years and why I am ranked number-one in the world at 145 pounds by both ESPN and Fox Sports. She’s an all time great in Muay Thai but this is MMA.”

Do you want to see Cyborg and De Randamie fight? How do you think this fight would go? Sound off, PENN Nation!

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 4/5/2017.