The former champion wanted to address the fans after the loss, but felt disrespected after being sent out of the Octagon instead of getting a post-fight interview.
“They just kicked me out of the cage,” Cyborg said at the UFC 232 post-fight press conference. “I think (it’s) very bad, very disrespectful, because I did a lot for the sport. I was supposed to say hello for my fans and talk to them. I think it’s not right. But OK, they did, (it’s) already done, I can go (to the) media and talk to my fans, say how I appreciate them, how them coming to the cage to watch my fight, all Cyborg Nation here to watch me. It’s OK, I just feel like I’m supposed to say something. Two Brazilian fighters, two champions. That’s it.”
UFC 232 marked the first loss for Cyborg since her professional MMA debut over a decade ago, with that defeat coming to Erica Paes.
Even though the loss for Cyborg was a tough pill to swallow, one thing that former champion wants the fans to know is that she is thankful for all of them.
“I wanna say thank you for all my fans (for coming to California),” Cyborg said. “I always try being the champion in the hearts of everybody, give them hope, because people (who) follow me knows how hard it was for me and I never showed them I’m quitting, I’m weak, I never showed that. But I’m a human being, I have my mistakes, I have a lot of things like everybody here, and I showed them it doesn’t matter you gonna fall, you gonna stand up on your feet and get in there. You just have to believe and have faith. This is the thing I want to show to all my fans. When you do that, you are the champion. When you stand up on your feet after you fall, you are the champion. And this is what I tried to show all my fans because I know everybody has hard times and I feel sad because everybody is sad because I lost today. For sure I have something to learn today. I don’t know what now, but I know God is gonna show me. I don’t want nobody sad because I’m not gonna be sad.”
Cyborg still has one fight left on her UFC contract, which is set to expire this March.
