The former UFC champion Cris Cyborg recently revealed that she had bet on Julianna Pena to win the contest in her fight against Amanda Nunes at UFC 269. After her recent victory at Bellator 279, Cyborg paid a visit to Ariel Helwani’s studio for The MMA Hour. The two had a long conversation during which they discussed several topics.
Cris Cyborg reveals she bet on Julianna Pena
At one point, they discussed the fight between Nunes and Pena. Helwani asked whether the Brazilian’s loss to Pena came as a shock to her. Cyborg said that she actually bet on ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ to emerge victorious at UFC 269.
“Actually, we talk at the house and everybody together, I bet [that] Julianna Pena was gonna win… because she has the same style as Cat Zingano, you know. Amanda Nunes lost [to] Cat Zingano and I believe this [was] a same-style fight and then, the style make the fight happen. So, I was believing, maybe, she was gonna win the fight.”
The 36-year-old added that she’ll also be backing Pena in her rematch against Nunes later this year. It was during the same conversation that she spoke about her experience with the UFC. She had parted ways with the UFC in 2019:
“I have great moments. Thankful to my fans, thankful to the people that work at the UFC, thankful to Dana White, and everyone that gave me the opportunity. I have great moments there, but at some points, I had a hard time with no agreements and saying something and then doing what they are supposed to do. So, I said I wanted to retire.”
She is a former UFC featherweight champion who has joined Bellator and dominated the Bellator featherweight division. She also holds a 5-0 promotional record and the Brazilian has successfully defended the Bellator featherweight championship four times.
