Holly Holm ready to fight ‘beatable’ UFC champ Cris Cyborg if the … – MMAjunkie.com

Holly Holm is ready and willing to fight UFC featherweight champion Cris Cyborg as soon as possible she just wants to make sure all the terms are correct, specifically when it comes to financial compensation.

There are many fighters unwilling to face Cyborg (18-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who has been one of the most dominant figures in the sport over her more than 12-year undefeated run. Ex-champ Holm (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) is not only of them, but she knows a bout the magnitude of one against the Brazilian is worthy of a significant deal.

I dont get too nitpicky with a lot of stuff, Holm told MMAjunkie. I dont want to be a whiny fighter. She better make weight, Ill tell you that. I do feel like the compensation should be a lot more, based on the fact its the biggest girls fight anyone can have right now; thats my reasoning. I feel like we should be compensated for it. That has nothing else to do with anything else other than its just a factual thing. That has nothing to do with the drama or anything else.

Holm is coming off a third-round knockout of Bethe Correia at UFC Fight Night 111. The victory snapped a three-fight losing skid for the former womens 135-pound titleholder, one of which included a unanimous decision defeat to Germaine de Randamie for the inaugural womens featherweight belt at UFC 208 in February.

Cyborg, meanwhile, claimed the vacant 145-pound belt that was stripped from de Randamie when she defeated Tonya Evinger by third-round TKO at UFC 214 in July. There was immediate talk of a bout with Holm afterward, and UFC President Dana White said The Preachers Daughter was interested in the fight at the UFC 214 post-fight press conference.

Holm said shes not going to wait forever for it to happen, though.

Its a big possibility, Holm said. Theres been a couple times weve talked about it before. Weve talked about a catchweight which she didnt want to do. That was before they opened the 145-pound division. If the fight with Cyborg is offered, then Im going to sign it. If not, then whoever they give me. I dont want my career to be defined by one fight. Everyone was talking about the Ronda (Rousey) fight, and then what? Theres still a whole career thats always still out there. Im not going to sit around waiting for one. If the opportunity comes, then thats great.

One of the sticking points for most fighters when it comes to Cyborg is a concern about her history with drug testing. She flunked a test in December 2011 while competing under the now-defunct Strikeforce organization and also had a brief hiccup with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in December, a case where she was later cleared of any wrongdoing.

Holm has historically taken a hard stance against performance-enhancing drugs, but she said Cyborgs past isnt of great concern.

A lot of the girls have their reason to not really want to fight her, Holm said. She got the violation before (in 2011). I dont know. My thing is: I dont want to touch it. I dont want to have any enhancers. I just want to know if I got somewhere, it was from hard work. That, in turn, keeps me more mentally strong. Whatever other people do is their own thing. It should definitely be a clean sport. She says shes clean now, but no matter what Im capable of winning that fight off of hard work. Im still open to fighting her no matter what.

Cyborg has addressed a potential fight with Holm many times on social media since UFC 214. She said she wants the matchup to take place at the year-end UFC 219 event in December, but has also accused Holm of using her name to raise her profile and receive greater compensation. Holm said shes not interested in engaging in a war of words.

I dont really care what Cyborg says, Holm said. Shes had a lot to say lately. I dont really look into it. Im just waiting to have a contract sent to me. Thats when the fights on, and Im going to train hard. Im not into saying who is trying to use whos name or all this other BS stuff. I dont get into it.

With the fullest expectations that her next trip to the octagon will be for an encounter with Cyborg, Holm said she has the utmost confidence she can be the one to snap Cyborgs incredible 19-fight unbeaten streak.

I think anybody has a game plan that can be used against them and some kind of weakness, Holm said. I can take her out of her element, out of her game. Shes definitely beatable. Im not going to sit here and say she was impressive or not impressive in her last fight. Styles make a difference and that was a different fight and our fight would be something completely different. Im ready for it.

For more on the upcoming UFC schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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