Is Bellator president Scott Coker ready to pounce and sign Cris Cyborg now that she’s a free agent?
On Saturday night, Cyborg defeated Felicia Spencer via unanimous decision at UFC 240. It was the final fight on Cyborg’s contract, and now questions abound about what’s next for the former women’s featherweight champion as she heads into free agency.
One thing seems certain, though: Coker is interested. And he made sure to remind her of that moments after Cyborg’s victory by tweeting out congratulations. And it wasn’t just any congratulatory tweet, mind you. It included an old photo of Coker and Cyborg together from their Strikeforce days.
It’s no secret that Cyborg and UFC president Dana White have had their past issues, which flared up again in the build-up to UFC 240, stemming from a potential rematch with champ-champ Amanda Nunes. It’s a key reason why Cyborg decided to fight out her contract rather than re-sign. Cyborg said after her victory that she and the UFC have “a lot of issues.”
Also for Cyborg to consider is the UFC’s commitment (or lack thereof) to building a 145-pound women’s division. Bellator, on the other hand, doesn’t have this problem. Even well before UFC 240, Bellator women’s featherweight champ Julia Budd was talking about a Cyborg showdown being “destined to be.”
Who knows? Maybe it is. Maybe Coker’s reminder of how good things used to be will get Cyborg to embrace what can be again.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
