There’s always been a feeling that Cris Cyborg may opt to leave the UFC when her current contract ends in March, and though her recent loss to Amanda Nunes only seemed to increase that chance, her striking coach Jason Parillo has suggested that’s not the case.
“We’re not going to leave the UFC,” Parillo said in an interview with 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 then went on to explain how he thinks Cyborg was her own worst enemy in the superfight with Nunes, which led to her being KO’d in just 51 seconds to end her long unbeaten run lasting 13 years.
“I saw Cris go out there and beat herself,” Parillo said. “I’ve said it in many interviews before, and it was always my biggest concern – which is her just going for broke, losing the plot and swinging wild. Just going back to old school Cyborg.
“Because I told her that the higher we climb the ladder; we’re not going to be able to get away with this style. We need to think a little bit more and stay behind the jab.”
Parillo also made it clear that despite the setback Cyborg is down but not out and still has the passion left to make a memorable comeback.
“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. 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.”
