Cyborg v Nunes Booked for UFC 232

Cyborg v Nunes Booked for UFC 232

By Dan McConnell

The most highly anticipated UFC women’s champion v champion showdown has been officially announced for UFC 232. The UFC finalised a female super-fight between Featherweight Champion Cris Cyborg who will face UFC Bantamweight Champion Amanda Nunes at the end of the year card in Las Vegas on December 29th.

The long rumoured fight has been one both fighters have wanted with not much movement within their own divisions and the need for a challenge. Nunes will move up to Featherweight to take on the most feared fighter of all time in women’s mixed martial arts Cris Cyborg.

Amanda Nunes (16-4) has been on a tear throughout the 135-pound division and is currently riding a 7-fight win streak. Nunes has defeated legends of the sport in Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey as well as Valentina Shevchenko and most recently Raquel Pennington at UFC 224.

Her opponent Cyborg (20-1) is a name that you whisper and don’t shout too loudly. Cyborg has been the most dominant force in women’s mixed martial arts for more than a decade while running through competition at every level from Strikeforce to Invicta FC and now with the UFC. The Brazilian has knocked out 17 of her last 21 opponents from her debut in 2005. Cyborg has defeated opponents such as MMA legend Gina Carano, former Invicta FC Bantamweight champion Tonya Evinger and former UFC Bantamweight champion Holly Holm.

Now the deal is done Cyborg will look for the third straight defence of her Featherweight title while facing arguably her toughest test to date. Both women have been on a rampage throughout their divisions. Nunes will move back to 145 pounds, which is where she started her career and looks to hand Cyborg a loss on her record for the first time in more than 10-years and look to become the UFC’s first woman who holds titles in two divisions.

The UFC Owners WME-IMG have looked to book a lot of Champion v Champion super-fights and there has been a lot of negative criticism in the past for this strategy. But with the situations within the women’s divisions over recent years this is a fight that had to happen.