Top featherweight contender Megan Anderson reacts to Amanda Nunes beating Cris Cyborg

Late last month, in the co-main event of UFC 232, Amanda Nunes ended the seemingly bulletproof reign of UFC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg with a volley of first-round punches. In the opinion of Megan Anderson — the top contender in the featherweight division — this was probably a good thing for the overall health of the weight class. In fact, she believes Cyborg’s previous dominance might have been part of the reason so few women stick around in the division.

“I think it’s good,” Anderson said on The MMA Hour this week (transcript via MMA Fighting). “I think Cris’s — she was on like a 21-fight win streak or something like that — I think her invincibility is what made it hard for people to want to stay in this division because she was so dominant and I have believed for a while that if Cris was to lose or if she was to not fight anymore, I feel like the division would flourish.

“I honestly think people are scared to fight her and that’s why they don’t stay in this division,” Anderson added. “And I think with Amanda showing that there are people out there that have potential and that not everyone is invincible, I hope it shows people that they can stay in this division and start building it.”

Needless to say, Megan Anderson was very impressed by Amanda Nunes’ performance against Cris Cyborg.

“That was an amazing fight. Holy s—,” Anderson said. “We were all in the green room f—ing yelling and that’s what Amanda needed to do. That was her key to victory. She had to make Cris respect her power and she did that in devastating fashion.”

Megan Anderson, of course, also competed at UFC 232, scoring a controversial but impressive stoppage defeat of Cat Zingano. Provided she doesn’t rematch Zingano next, she’s hoping to meet Amanda Nunes or Cris Cyborg in the near future.

“I hope that I can get the chance to fight Amanda next. Do I think I will? Probably not,” Anderson said. “I have no idea what’s in store for me next. I would love to fight Amanda. I love that fight. I would love to fight Cris as well. And if people feel like I need to fight Cat again and prove myself then I’ll fight her as well. I have no idea what’s gonna happen next and I think it’s going to make for an interesting 2019.”

What do you think of these comments from Megan Anderson?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/7/2019.