Coach updates on Cris Cyborg’s status with the UFC

Cris Cyborg is no longer the UFC women’s featherweight champion. The long-time titleholder’s reign came to a shocking halt in the co-main event of UFC 232 in late December, when she was knocked out by Amanda Nunes in just 51 seconds.

Given that Cyborg’s current UFC contract will expire in March, some fans have speculated that she might take her services elsewhere at that point — perhaps to the boxing world, or to Japan for an exhibition bout.

According Jason Parillo, a long-time coach of Cris Cyborg, however, the former champion isn’t going anywhere. He says the current modus operandi is to go back to the drawing board and reclaim the title Cyborg once guarded so ferociously.

“We’re not going to leave the UFC,” Parillo told MMAjunkie. “We’re going to stay there, plug away and get back the title that Cris had. She has the time and ability to do it.”

“If we could get a fight between now and March, that would be wonderful, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen. The negotiations are obviously the manager’s job, and I just want the best for Cris.”

Parillo also updated on Cyborg’s mental state in the wake of her loss to Amanda Nunes. While defeat is a fairly unfamiliar feeling for her, she’s apparently still surging with competitive fire.

“Cris and I have talked and texted every day since the fight and, because she has been dominating all these years, this is a new feeling for her, but she still has that fire in her heart,” Parillo said. “This is essentially a brand new feeling for her, so everything I say has to be sensitive to that. But harsh truths are also what’s going to make you better, sharper and smarter.

“This is an experience she has to get through, to prove who she is, and I know she will.”

What do you think the future holds for Cris Cyborg after UFC 232?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/9/2019.