Cris Cyborg feels it was ‘very disrespectful’ of UFC not to give her a post-fight interview at UFC 232

Last weekend, the long-time reign of UFC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg came to a shuddering halt at the hands of UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.

Despite the disappointing outcome of this fight, Cris Cyborg says she still would have appreciated the chance to address her fans in a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. She reminds that she’s accomplished unimaginable heights in the sport, and says that her accomplishments justified her being given a chance to talk.

“They just kicked me out of the cage,” Cyborg said during her post-fight media scrum (transcript via MMA Fighting). “I think (it’s) very bad, very disrespectful, because I did a lot for the sport. I was supposed to say hello for my fans and talk to them. I think it’s not right.

“But OK, they did, (it’s) already done, I can go (to the) media and talk to my fans, say how I appreciate them, how them coming to the cage to watch my fight, all Cyborg Nation here to watch me. It’s OK, I just feel like I’m supposed to say something. Two Brazilian fighters, two champions. That’s it.”

While Cris Cyborg is disappointed she didn’t get the chance to address her fans, she says she’s determined to handle this setback with poise.

“I always try being the champion in the hearts of everybody, give them hope, because people (who) follow me knows how hard it was for me and I never showed them I’m quitting, I’m weak, I never showed that,” she said. “But I’m a human being, I have my mistakes, I have a lot of things like everybody here, and I showed them it doesn’t matter you gonna fall, you gonna stand up on your feet and get in there. You just have to believe and have faith.

“This is the thing I want to show to all my fans. When you do that, you are the champion. When you stand up on your feet after you fall, you are the champion. And this is what I tried to show all my fans because I know everybody has hard times and I feel sad because everybody is sad because I lost today.

“For sure I have something to learn today. I don’t know what now, but I know God is gonna show me. I don’t want nobody sad because I’m not gonna be sad.”

Do you think Cris Cyborg should have gotten a post-fight interview at UFC 232?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/3/2019.