Apparently, Conor McGregor’s foray into boxing has inspired other MMA fighters to consider their hand at the sweet science. UFC woman’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino has been campaigning for a boxing match with pound-for-pound number one woman’s boxer Cecilia Braekhus.
Braekhus made history on Saturday night by becoming a part of first woman’s boxing match to ever air on HBO Boxing. Defended her IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO 147 pound belts after scoring a 10 round decision over Kali Reis.
Meanwhile, the Brazilian MMA striker wants to make the crossover to boxing, and even wore this t-shirt while ringside for Braekhus’ fight (MMA Mania):
At ringside is UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, who came to watch Braekhus. Cyrborg, wearing a “Cyborg vs. Braekhus 2019” T-shirt, said she has aspirations to fight Braekhus in a boxing match. Cyborg, speaking to ringside media, said she… https://t.co/Wungmo2p6U
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) May 6, 2018
Por lo que se ve, Cris Cyborg quiere enfrentarse a Cecilia Braekhus en 2019 pic.twitter.com/R56AR2S2ty
— JuliusJulianis (@julianisjulius) May 6, 2018
Just spoke to @criscyborg here at @StubHub Center. She said she has two more fights in the @UFC, then plans to try to box. She wants to fight @CeciliaBraekhus who is fighting here tonight. She said she can go back to #MMA after that
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) May 6, 2018
Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather is the precedent here, but it seems like “Cyborg” will have to fight out her UFC contract in order to professionally box, whereas McGregor did so while still under UFC contract.
For her part, Braekhus seems game for it, however not until a proper deal is made.
”A hybrid fight with Cyborg, MMA, boxing,” Braekhus told Fino Boxing. “We have discussed this. That would be amazing. We have already discussed this and she’s very interested in that because she saw what happened with Mayweather-McGregor and the hype that gave them, and for her to take on the best female pound for pound boxer, she’s very excited about that. But of course we have to negotiate the deal.”
While commenting on the difference between a boxing match with “Cyborg” and McGregor vs. Mayweather, Braekhus was extremely complimentary of the Brazilian’s striking.
”She’s very interested in this,” Braekhus said. She’s texting me and she’s writing me and if we can get it done, sure it would be a spectacular thing to do. And I think she’s actually a better striker than McGregor. I think that would be a much more competitive fight than Mayweather vs. McGregor, also.”
Are you interested at all in a boxing match between “Cyborg” and Cecilia Braekhus?
