Few fighters in MMA history have been as feared or as avoided as Cris Cyborg. A pioneer of women’s MMA with nearly two decades of dominance, Cyborg (28-2) has fought virtually every elite fighter willing to face her. Yet even with a résumé that spans Strikeforce, Invicta, the UFC, and Bellator, there are still a handful of massive, era-defining fights that never materialized.
According to Cyborg, those fights weren’t lost because she backed away but because others never signed the dotted line.
“I never denied to fight anybody,” Cyborg told MMA Junkie. “I was ready. Everybody knows this. I’m never afraid of anybody. I was ready to fight anyone put in front of me. So I don’t have that on my chest I did everything to make those fights happen.”
A Legacy Built on Fighting Anyone, Anytime
Cyborg burst onto the global scene in 2009 with her historic Strikeforce title fight against Gina Carano a landmark moment still considered one of the most important bouts in women’s MMA history. Cyborg’s first-round TKO not only crowned her champion but unofficially marked the arrival of the sport’s most imposing force.
From there, her path was defined by dominance:
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Seven consecutive wins after the Carano fight
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A move to the UFC in 2016
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A run to the UFC featherweight title
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Defenses against elite names like Holly Holm
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A blockbuster and ultimately losing clash with Amanda Nunes
Even after the loss, Cyborg pushed relentlessly for a rematch that never came together.
Ronda Rousey: The Fight the Sport Never Got
For years, Cyborg vs. Ronda Rousey was the dream fight in women’s MMA a rivalry rooted in tension, public jabs, and competing championship reigns. But the fight never came close to happening. Rousey refused to meet Cyborg at 145 pounds. She refused to leave the UFC. She refused to move up in weight. By the time Cyborg was dominating at featherweight in Invicta, cutting to 135 was an impossibility.
“All the fights that didn’t happen in my career were because the other side didn’t accept to fight me,” Cyborg said. “I never denied anyone.”
Rousey ultimately left MMA without ever attempting the matchup fans spent years begging for.
Kayla Harrison: A Fight Lost to the Business Side
While Rousey was always a longshot, a showdown with Kayla Harrison looked far more realistic especially after the PFL acquired Bellator, putting both champions under the same umbrella. Then Harrison signed with the UFC. Many saw it as a strategic exit to avoid the Cyborg fight altogether. Cyborg seems to agree. “I believe they never had the intention to make the fights,” Cyborg said. “Just to make some noise and promote their names.” Harrison will now chase UFC gold at bantamweight, while Cyborg continues building her résumé as one of the most decorated fighters the sport has ever seen.
Contentment, Without Regret
Even as Cyborg reflects on superfights that slipped away Rousey, Harrison, and even a Nunes rematch she refuses to view her career as incomplete. She fought everyone who would face her, she chased every challenge available. She never avoided anyone. And as she nears the twilight of her legendary run, she’s at peace with the path she walked.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
