But it was after the Holm fight that Cyborg got called out…by women’s bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes.
Nunes had faced adversity in the UFC, even lost a 2014 bout to Cat Zingano, but following that setback, she ran off six straight wins that included two victories over Valentina Shevchenko and first-round finishes of Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. If there was a women’s pound-for-pound list at that time, Cyborg and Nunes would likely be 1-2.
So, looking back, this seemed like a natural matchup. At the time, though, there was the sense that Nunes might be biting off more than she could chew, especially by moving up to 145 pounds. And when the making of the fight was delayed, Cyborg pounced.
“She called me out after the Holly Holm fight and I accepted right away,” said Cyborg at the time. “When you challenge somebody, you can’t ask for nine months to train. If somebody goes to your house now, locks the door and says, ‘I’m gonna kick your ass,’ are you gonna say, ‘Okay, wait, I have to do one hundred push-ups, I have to do bag work, I need to start running.’ No. You have to be ready to do this.”
