Back from the dead?
A week after Holly Holm’s management said talks of fighting Cris Cyborg at UFC 219 had stalled significantly — “dead,” to be exact — MMA Fighting has learned that the fight has been resuscitated and — all of a sudden — there’s renewed optimism that it could happen on Dec. 30 after all.
Still, at this time, there’s no deal in place to book the UFC women’s featherweight title fight on Dec. 30 and bout agreements have been not been issued yet.
“Holly was anxiously awaiting the Dec. 30 fight with Cyborg,” Holm’s agent Lenny Fresquez told MMAFighting.com last week, “and had been training for it. But we could not come to financial terms for this featherweight title bout in December. We look forward to meeting her under the right circumstances.”
Fresquez declined comment when contacted by MMAFighting.com on Thursday about the fight potentially being back on.
UFC 219, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is forty-four days away but is currently without a headliner. By contrast, UFC booked Amanda Nunes vs. Ronda Rousey for its Dec. 30 show last year on Oct. 12.
The promotion is working hard to find a main event for its year-end show, traditionally one of their most important of the year. After Cyborg vs. Holm talks stalled, they attempted to book Tyron Woodley vs. Nate Diaz for the welterweight title, but according to sources, that fight is far from finalized and currently viewed as a long shot.