Cyborg: ‘Leaving The UFC’ Was ‘Best Thing For My Career’

Reigning Bellator MMA champion Cris Cyborg says her new home hosts far greener pastures than the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is far from the end all be all for current Bellator queen Cris Cyborg.

Cyborg, 35, and the UFC had a rather messy divorce; however, Cyborg is looking at UFC in the rearview mirror like a bad boyfriend.

“The best thing for my career was leaving the UFC. I have another thought and direction for my future,” Cyborg told Ag Fight (translation via BJPenn.com.) “Anything connected with me Dana White is going to get in trouble because he doesn’t like people who go up against him. He likes people who say amen to him and I’m not like that. I have my principles and I follow them. It’s hard to work with people like that. You don’t have to accept it but respect it.

“We [Scott Coker and I] are working partners. We both want to grow together. So it works,” she added. “The relationship that I had with Dana White and that a lot of athletes have, you see Jon Jones, it’s not a partnership. People want to take advantage of other athletes. Without the athletes, the event doesn’t happen.”

Cyborg (24-2) is the reigning Bellator Women’s Featherweight champion and is coming off a successful defense vs. Leslie Smith at Bellator 259 on Fri., May 21. Cyborg pieced up Smith for four full rounds before securing the TKO finish at 4:51 of round five.

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