Cris Cyborg chased a fight against Ronda Rousey for years, but she’s long since moved on from that rivalry, especially after the former UFC bantamweight champion suffered back-to-back knockout losses and retired from the sport.
But over nine years after Rousey’s last appearance in the UFC, she surprised everybody by announcing her comeback with a fight booked against Gina Carano on May 16. While Rousey had nothing but compliments for her upcoming opponent, Cyborg caught a fiery stray during a pre-fight
press conference when she blasted the former UFC and Bellator champion regarding her knockout win over Carano in 2009.
“Obviously, that was a cheating, roided-up bitch that totally cheated you out of your title that was deservingly yours,” Rousey said. “You’re too nice to say it, so I’m going to say it: F*ck her, and you’re the best.”
In response, Cyborg largely took the high road and has long since acknowledged she failed a drug test back in 2011, but has never tested positive for anything again, which included her seven-fight run in the UFC where she endured the same anti-doping standards as Rousey. More than anything, Cyborg scoffed at Rousey’s comments she remains a topic of conversation despite all the time that has passed since the peak of their feud.
“How crazy? This is already past 10 years [ago],” Cyborg told MMA Fighting. “She’s already a mother, she’s retired for 10 years and I’m in a different time in my life, too. So the past 10 years, I didn’t think about her. This is annoying her. But I’m just living my life and enjoying, I do a lot of things for the sport and I’m going to continue doing.
“She likes to call out things from 15 years ago. I already proved that I’m a clean athlete. For 15 years, I’ve done Olympic testing, I’ve already proved this, people see this. I don’t need to say anything. People see this. It’s crazy that I’m still on her mind. It’s like that music ‘you’re [always] on my mind.’ It’s crazy.”
While Rousey lobbed insults her way, Cyborg admitted she was actually happy to see her former rival returning to the cage to compete again, especially knowing the way her career originally ended.
Following a dominant run through the UFC bantamweight division, Rousey suffered a brutal head kick knockout loss to Holly Holm and then endured a similar fate when she returned a year later and Amanda Nunes dispatched her inside the first round.
Rousey left the UFC and pursued a new career in WWE, but now returns to MMA with the fight booked against Carano in May.
“I believe this — they did very good matchmaking [with] this fight,” Cyborg said. “Ronda, after her last two fights she lost, she retired for 10 years and now she’s a little bit right in her mind and back to health, her mental health, she’s back in a fight with a legend Gina Carano. I think you see a lot of times they put legends who are coming back to fight young fighters and you see a legend losing. You get upset. I feel like it’s nice, she’s going to fight a legend in Gina Carano and both are coming from retirement.
“[Ronda has been out] for 10 years, Gina for 17 years, her last fight was with me in 2009. I think it’s a little bit better to see, especially they’re both coming back from retirement. I think it’s going to be a great fight.”
Cyborg, who competes for the WIBA 154-pound championship in boxing on Saturday, moved past Rousey a long time ago and she hasn’t considered ever chasing that fight again.
With plans to retire from the sport at the end of 2026, Cyborg has never slowed down much less stopped fighting and she’s still currently holding onto the PFL featherweight title.
Fighting Rousey years ago made perfect sense when they were both at the top of the sport. Now Cyborg sees that as a complete and utter mismatch, which is why she’s not interested in entertaining that possibility.
“I believe 10 years ago maybe [she had a chance] but now I’m a different fighter,” Cyborg said. “I’m a smart fighter. I plan the fights, everybody sees this. I think it’s a different time.
“I’m seven years undefeated. I’ve got so many things in my career. I’m happy Ronda Rousey is coming back because it’s not nice you retired. All the fans follow you and after her two losses she stayed behind a pillow during a press conference. I believe it’s nice she’s coming back. She overcame this and coming back I think is the right thing. You overcame, you show the fans sometimes you’re going to lose, sometimes you’re going to win and it’s time to come back. Her mental health is better. But I believe like this, our time to fight each other was in our primes. I am [still] active fighting. I didn’t stop fighting for one second. I’m a better fighter now than before. I don’t think the fans want to [see me] hurt Ronda Rousey. I don’t think people would like to see it.”
As far as the future goes, Cyborg is focused on her boxing match on Saturday and then hopefully returning to the PFL for her final MMA fight in the summer.
When it comes to Rousey returning to compete again, Cyborg hopes she sticks around longer for more than the matchup against Carano because there are still a lot of options available to her. Cyborg just knows she’s not one of them.
“I think the right fight for her is fighting girls who come from retirement or legends in the sport,” Cyborg said. “[Maybe] a third fight with Miesha Tate. She says she just wants to fight Gina but maybe Miesha Tate can be good for her.”
