Cris Cyborg: Dana White shouldn’t push for UFC ‘Fight Island’ in the midst of coronavirus pandemic

Cris Cyborg: Dana White shouldn’t push for UFC ‘Fight Island’ in the midst of coronavirus pandemic

Cris Cyborg doesn’t like Dana White’s “Fight Island” idea.

In a recent interview with The No-Sports Report with Jensen Karp, current Bellator women’s featherweight champion and former UFC women’s featherweight champion Cyborg (22-2 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) responded when asked about White’s insistence on putting on shows during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Everybody has to be quarantined,” Cyborg said. “It’s the rules for everyone. You know a lot of people don’t want to be home. A lot of people are struggling now, and I think he personally should do something (other) than just think about himself and boxing and MMA fights. … I think it’s better to wait, like everyone – respect everyone.”

The conflict that comes with accepting a fight offer extends beyond the fighters themselves, according to Cyborg. Teammates, family and friends are all put at risk when a fighter puts his name on the dotted line.

“Even though the fighters have to be together for training, you could say, ‘OK, I’m going to make an event now.’ Do you think if you (did) say, ‘OK, Cris, you’re going to have a fight,’ I’m going to have to make my team?” Cyborg said. “You know, I have to put my team together. We are going to be together, training. Then you put the risk of the family around you. You know, I think you had to wait and have respect for the process. Be patient.”

While Cyborg and White saw eye to eye for much of their UFC partnership, the two feuded before they became business partners. After Cyborg lost to Amanda Nunes in December 2018 and began to approach the last fight on her deal, the relationship became unsteady once again.

White said Cyborg didn’t want an immediate rematch with Nunes, but she vehemently denied those claims. In a UFC 240 post-fight conversation posted by her team, Cyborg questioned White face to face.

Just days later, the UFC posted a video to its YouTube channel in which White announced Cyborg had been released from the company.

Since her UFC departure, Cyborg has competed once for Bellator. In January, at Bellator 238, Cyborg defeated then-champion Julia Budd to earn the women’s 145-pound title.