Happy at Bellator, Cyborg opens up about her time in the UFC: 'I was never welcome'

Known as one of the best fighters of all time, Chris Cyborg writes in gold his trajectory in the world of MMA. Current Bellator featherweight champion (up to 65,7 kg), the Brazilian, however, spoke about her troubled time in the UFC, her relationship with Dana White, her present success and her plans for the future. The statements were made in an exclusive interview with YouTube channel do SUPER FIGHTS.

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A champion wherever she has been, Cyborg is unanimous when it comes to her talent in mixed martial arts. At a great stage in her career, the 35-year-old from Curitiba opened her heart and didn't shy away from questions related to her career.

Return of the partnership with Rafael Cordeiro

Professional in the sport since 2005, Cris is one of the great representatives of the legendary 'Chute Boxe' academy. At the beginning of her career, the athlete had the support of renowned coach, Rafael Cordeiro, who helped reveal names such as Wanderlei Silva, Mauritius Shogun, Anderson Silva, between others. The partnership with the coach, however, was interrupted around 2009, but resumed in 2020, for her confrontation against Arlene Blencowe.

“I started training with Rafael Cordeiro, at Chute Boxe. So, he's known me since the beginning, when I didn't know anything about MMA. I started learning from him, with the same philosophy as Chute Boxe. I took that with me for the rest of my career. (…) I was very happy to work for this fight together with Rafael Cordeiro and the great team he has. It's a family. It reminded me a lot of the beginning of my career. (…) It was like a video game, he talked and I did it. I was very connected”, said the Curitiba native.

Relationship with UFC

Before shining with the Bellator gloves, where he debuted in January this year, Cyborg went through a complicated process before putting on the gloves of the company chaired by Scott Coker. Between 2016 and 2019, the Brazilian represented the UFC and, despite having made great presentations for the company, the relationship with some members of the company was not the best.

“The period I spent in the UFC was always full of controversy. I was never welcome there, actually. I fought at catchweight, but I wanted to have my own division. (…) I was always there with something unprofessional, like, arguing over the internet. Everything the UFC asked of me, I was very professional, but there are things I don't agree with. There has to be an agreement between us, a partnership. (…) Without the fighter, the event doesn’t happen. There were several controversies between me and Dana White. I was already tired of all this. They didn't send me away. My contract is over,” said the champion.

Appreciation

Cyborg's relationship with Ultimate ended up deteriorating even further when the Curitiba native was surpassed by Amanda nunes, in 2018, losing the featherweight belt. The athlete says that she did not feel valued by the company when she did not receive an immediate rematch against the 'Lione', which influenced her non-renewal with the UFC.

“Even when you lose a fight, you continue to sell what you sold. Your fans are still with you, they're not just with you when you're winning. Does not devalue the athlete. Of course, you won’t get into a title fight so quickly, but you won’t lose value because your fans will stop following you,” he declared.

Controversies with Dana White

One of the triggers for Cyborg to choose to evaluate other possibilities outside of Ultimate after the last fight of his contract (2019) was his relationship with the company's president, Dana White. Before leaving the UFC, the athlete and her agent publicly exchanged barbs through the press and social media. The Brazilian then spoke about what she thinks about the 'boss' treatment.

“Most of the UFC people who worked with me are very good people, they know how professional I was. What happened is that Dana White, when he was in front of me, said one thing and, on the internet, he said another. It's something you can't control and it kind of affected not only me, but my image. Everyone knows that I have never feared any opponent, since the beginning of my career”, said Cris, when discussing the episodes in which Dana stated that the Curitiba native feared and avoided a rematch against Amanda nunes.

Reality in Bellator

Famous worldwide for her achievements in the sport, Cyborg didn't take long to accept a tempting proposal from Scott Coker, who runs Bellator. The Brazilian's last appearance with Ultimate gloves took place in July 2019 (in the victory over Felicia spencer) and, six months later, Cris delighted the fans in the circular cage, winning, in his debut, the featherweight title against julia budd. Happy with the new phase, the athlete then commented on her presence in the new company.

“I don't feel like an employee of the event. I feel like we are partners, two companies working together. I have no problem outside of the fight. 'Promised something, didn't deliver', there's nothing like that. I just have to focus on my fight and prepare. That was paramount, and respect. Scott (Coker) respects all athletes, from the first to the last. He knows the philosophy of martial art, (…) treating athletes as we deserve,” he said.

In October, Cyborg made her first title defense, when she faced veteran Arlene Blencowe. Against the Australian, Cris once again gave a gala performance, dominating her rival and achieving the first submission of her career.

Currently, Cris has 25 appearances in professional MMA. The Curitiba native has 23 wins and just two defeats.

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