ATT head coach: Amanda Nunes vs. Cris Cyborg '1,000 percent' going to happen

It might be the new marketing catchphrase for a UFC women’s champion vs. champion fight: “Leave your mark on history.”

Amanda Nunes’ longtime coach is pushing it as he stumps for a matchup between the UFC women’s bantamweight champ and featherweight champ Cris Cyborg.

“People want to see it,” American Top Team head coach Conan Silveira told MMAjunkie. “I think they have the best opportunity to leave their marks on history.”

Silveira backs Nunes (15-4 MMA, 8-1 UFC), who this past week rolled out the tagline on Twitter as she argued her desire to face Cyborg (18-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) isn’t personal, but about legacy.

Nunes previously has waffled on the subject. After starching ex-champ Ronda Rousey, she talked up a meeting with Cyborg. Then, she seemed to backtrack in favor of defending her belt. After a rematch win over Valentina Shevchenko, she shifted again to favor a conquest at featherweight.

UFC President Dana White is on record saying Cyborg vs. Nunes is the “fight to make.” But Cyborg appears to need convincing.

In an extended blog post written on her personal website, the women’s featherweight champ argued she needs to face legitimate featherweight contenders rather than bulked-up bantamweights. She hopes to face Invicta FC champ Megan Anderson for her next title defense.

Nunes, Cyborg wrote, can work her way into contention like other potential challengers.

Nunes used to fight at 145 pounds, but dropped to 135 pounds in pursuit of UFC gold, which she won in 2016 with a beatdown of the now-retired Miesha Tate. Silveira doesn’t think his charge will be at a disadvantage over weight.

“I believe for the weight division, Amanda is going to be extremely well-prepared,” he said. “She’s not going to have to make the weight. She’s probably going to be strong in that division. I do believe the compensation (for) the strength that comes from Cyborg definitely will be the tools that Amanda has on her side.

“I think it’s the perfect fight. It’s a perfect match. It’s a champions fight – it’s something we don’t see happen often.”

The timeline and location of the bout also doesn’t matter to Silveira. It could take place in the fighters’ home country of Brazil, or in Las Vegas. The most important thing is that it happens. On that, he’s certain it eventually will.

“I think it’s not 100 percent, but 1,000 percent going to happen,” Silveira said. “I think it’s something everybody wants to see, even the ones that think they’re going to lose something. I just think it’s a champions fight. I think they need to have that fight. It’s a big push for MMA in general, females and males. People want to see it. I think they have the best opportunity to leave their marks on history.

“I believe that when you fight and you get to be a contender, it’s really hard. When you win and you become a champion, it’s even harder than that. But when you have a chance to leave your name in history, I think you have to do it. It’s something that’s good for everybody. If Cyborg was an American Top Team fighter, yeah, it really doesn’t make any sense. But still, I think the chance of what’s going to come from the fight is something only a few people have to do in life.”

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