Pacquiao fan and former running mate Cris Cyborg loses to Amanda Nunes by KO
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 31 Dec 2018
Two years ago, Cris Cyborg joined Manny Pacquiao in one of his running and training sessions in Los Angeles.
The two fighters exchanged pleasantries and autographs after their morning run at Griffith Park in 2016.
Last night at UFC 232 at The Forum in Inglewood, California - Cyborg the reigning featherweight female champion- suffered a devastating first round knockout in the hands of reigning bantamweight female champion Amanda Nunes.
Nunes ended Cyborg?s dominance of the sport with a slew of rapid-fire punches in 51 seconds of Round 1. With her upset victory, Nunes made history by becoming the first and only female fighter in UFC history to become a two-division champ. She is also the first female fighter to hold two titles simultaneously.
Pacquiao who is currently training in Los Angeles for his January 19 fight against Adrien Broner tweeted yesterday that he was ?Excited for @criscyborg #ufc232 fight tonight! ?
But Cyborg did not last one minute after a blitzkrieg attack from Nunes.
Cyborg was not alone. She suffered the same fate of another high profile female UFC fighter that was once associated with the Filipino icon.
Ronda Rousey, a friend of Pacquiao in the past, was also stopped by Nunes in Round 1 back in December of 2016.
Nunes sent Rousey to MMA retirement after knocking her out in 48 seconds at the T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for UFC 207.
Fighting as an underdog against Cyborg and Rousey, Nunes defied the odds to not only score the upset victories against these two favorites but she also did it in a dominant manner. She earned the ?Performance of the Night? bonus awards on both fights.
With history on her side and her major victories against the top players of her sport, Amanda Nunes is now considered as the greatest female fighter in MMA.
Hours after her loss, Cyborg released a statement thanking her fans.
?Today was not our day, but I want you to know that I am very grateful for your affection! Life is like that one day we lose and one day we win!
"Belt for me has always been symbolic, the most important is to be a champion in the lives of people making a difference in this world!? stated Cyborg via Twitter.
Photo: Manny Pacquiao and Cris Cyborg in a 2016 photo.
You can reach the author at rrmaze24@aol.com
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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