At UFC 208 a few weeks back, Germaine de Randamie made history by becoming the first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s Featherweight champion, defeating Holly Holm via unanimous decision in Brooklyn, New York (see it again here).
But "Iron Lady’s" victory was somewhat clouded in controversy, as many felt Holm should’ve gotten the nod, or at the very least scored a draw had the referee on duty taken a point away from de Randamie for a couple of late blows after the bell.
As a result, Germaine was quick to offer up a rematch to Holm, leaving Cris Cyborg out in the cold. Speaking of which, when asked about a potential title defense against the fearsome striker during her post-fight speech, Germaine drew the ire of many — Cyborg included — after declaring she needed surgery to repair her busted-up hand.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, "Iron Lady" did her best to clear up her comments regarding surgery, a potential showdown against a "beatable" Cyborg, and why she feels Holly should get an instant rematch.
"I’ve said I need surgery on my hand, that’s inevitable," said de Randamie. "But I never said I need surgery right now. Am I going to have permanent damage if I fight again? That is something I have to evaluate with my doctor. I truly apologize for not making that clear, but I don’t run away from anybody."
"I knew Cyborg was there and there is no reason for me to run, everyone is beatable and it is an honor for me to fight such a great champion like Cyborg. I am not running. But at this point, I do believe Holly deserves the rematch."
Still, Germaine says she has yet to see a doctor, but hopes that will change in the coming weeks to clear things up regarding her fighting future. And while UFC matchmakers will likely book Cyborg vs. de Randamie once the doctor gives the green light, "Iron Lady" first wants Holm to silence the critics.
"I completely understand people want to see that fight, and that fight will eventually happen, but first I got to fight Holly to clear everything up," she said. "Everything that has been said, I think she deserves the rematch, first. A few weeks ago, it wasn’t clear if Cyborg would be cleared to fight soon, now that she’s cleared (with USADA), if the fight is going to happen, it will happen anyway, but Holly deserves it first to settle things up."
As far as Cyborg’s USADA issues, those are now a thing of the past. And since comapny president Dana White wasn’t too thrilled with the performances of both Holm and de Randamie, it’s unlikely an instant rematch will see the light of day anytime soon.