Cris Cyborg recently shared thoughts about her longtime nemesis, Ronda Rousey.
"I feel sad for her," Cyborg told USA TODAY Sports in an interview in early August. "I feel sorry for her. I think she’s scared of me. And I just wish the best for her."
The comments stem from a feud between the two women that flared up when Rousey was preparing for her comeback fight in May.
Fuming, Rousey in March accused Cyborg of being a "cheating, roided-up" fighter. Now Rousey is back in retirement, and the 41-year-old Cyborg could be headed for the same place.
Cyborg will enter the cage Saturday Aug. 22 against Ketlen Vieira at a Professional Fighters League event in Orlando, Florida with one fight left on her contract with the PFL.
"I love (what) I do," Cyborg
said. "I love challenge. And I want to see how I feel this fight. After that, see what's going to happen next."
Inside and outside the cage
Cyborg implied Rousey never recovered from knockout losses to Holm and Nunes that led to retirement 2016.
"All the losses, everything, she didn't overcome," Cyborg said, adding that Rousey ripped not only Cyborg but also the UFC. "She's not getting a better person. You see how she's acting. She's not happy."
Cyborg has faced her own adversity.
She is 29-2 with 21 knockouts. Her career, which started in her native country of Brazil in 2005, includes knockouts of Holly Holm, Cat Zingano and Carano. Her only losses came in the first fight of her pro career and to the legendary Amanda Nunez.
But she’s faced criticism from more than Rousey.
In 2011, Cyborg tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid she blamed on an unapproved supplement and was suspended for a year.
In 2016, she tested positive for a banned diuretic that can serve as a masking agent. She was granted an exemption after a doctor told drug testing officials he prescribed the banned substance for therapeutic purposes.
"I proved I’m a clean athlete," Cyborg said,
'Still calling my name'
Cyborg says she will not enter the cage on Saturday a creaky fighter desperately squeezing out one final fight.
"I'm 41 years old, but I feel like I'm fighting better than when I was 21 years old," she said.
Unlike many of her peers, Cyborg never suffered a serious injury and she said she draws on her experience, determination and resilience in training and in the cage.
"I love (what) I do," she said.
There could be more fights ahead after the recent merger between the PFL and Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions.
"A lot will be told come Saturday night," said Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP. "Her opponent’s a big, strong woman who's coming to win and upset Cris.
"Cris has accomplished so many things within MMA. She's also spent time in boxing now. And when you think about our new platform, we have the ability to offer her the opportunity to do both. So it'll be important to see what happens Saturday, how she feels."
Cyborg clearly feels good her status in the fight game.
"The people still calling my name and want to fight," she said.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cyborg says she feels 'sad' for Ronda Rousey, eyes possible retirement
