Cyborg Vacates Title, Calls Out Randamie

Germaine de Randamie, Cris Cyborg is coming for you.

In a video posted on Friday, Cyborg announced she is officially surrendering the Invicta FC featherweight championship. Cyborg said she is doing this in order to focus her sights more on the UFC women’s featherweight championship, which was won by de Randamie over Holly Holm at UFC 208 in Brooklyn, New York.

“I’m vacating my belt at 145 pounds in Invicta FC. This decision [does not] come too easy,” Cyborg said. “In 2013, Shannon Knapp invite me to support her league of all women, Invicta FC, and I’m already No. 1 in the world, and I had wins over Gina Carano and Marloes Coenen. When I signed with Invicta, I wanted to help for we can prove the women can be the real fighters and they can play combat sports. Like me, like Carla Esparza, Claudia Gadelha, Amanda Nunes and all the women in the cage now just prove it. Invicta has the best women’s fighters in the world.

“I want to say thank you for Shannon Knapp for believing in all of the women. If you don’t believe in us, probably we’d never be in the UFC one day.”

Cyborg has proven herself to most likely be the best 145-pound female fighter in the world. She has not been defeated since 2005, winning titles in both Strikeforce and Invicta.

Cyborg has had two fights thus far in the UFC, both at 140-pound catchweight. At the time of her two UFC bouts, a women’s featherweight was nonexistent, and Cyborg has had a history of being unable to cut down to 135.

In December, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Cyborg tested positive for a banned substance, diuretic spironolactone, and a suspension for Cyborg looked likely. However, after an investigation, Cyborg was given a retroactive TUE by USADA and cleared of any wrongdoing.

Now, Cyborg is ready, and she has called out de Randamie for a women’s featherweight title bout at UFC 214, which takes place in Anaheim, California — near Cyborg’s hometown of San Diego.

“After her victory, [de Ranamie] at 145 pounds, the UFC determined that she will be the No. 1 contender for my title belt,” Cyborg said. “I’m healthy now and I’m strong, and I really want to show my fans why I’m still 10 years undefeated at 145 pounds.

“July 29th, the UFC will be in south California, and I would like to fight in my backyard in America in Anaheim, California. So, Germaine, I hope your hand is healthy enough to accept my challenge.”

UPDATE: As a result of Cyborg surrendering her Invicta FC title, Megan Anderson is the new, undisputed Invicta featherweight champion.