Megan Anderson came into the UFC a highly touted prospect in a division that has been all about Cyborg. But following a long layoff and a loss to Holly Holm, UFC 232 may be her last chance to establish herself in the promotion.
Less than a year ago, Megan Anderson was the one fighter people thought had a legit chance against Cris Cyborg. Perhaps the only one. The 6’1 titan was on a four fight knockout streak and had managed to gain a lot of attention in the MMA world. She was someone who had decent mic skills and was able to market herself, unlike any other fellow featherweight. All of this added hype around her and even managed to create a narrative that the featherweight division desperately needed. It seemed like Cyborg vs. Anderson was inevitable. However, all of that came crashing down earlier this year.
At UFC 225, Anderson locked horns against the toughest of Cyborg’s opponents, former UFC bantamweight champion Holly Holm. This was supposed to be a litmus test for the Aussie to check if she was ready for Cyborg or not. The fight saw Anderson being completely dominated by the more experienced Holm. Holm repeatedly landed takedowns and controlled Anderson on the ground. Anderson simply couldn’t get out of first gear.
And like that, Cyborg vs. Anderson went up in a puff of smoke.
The result of the fight led to all the hype surrounding Anderson vanishing as well. Still, she has a second chance to make a first impression this weekend at UFC 232 in Las Vegas Los Angeles. When Anderson faces Cat Zingano, she goes into the fight in a desperate must-win situation. At least if she wants to keep the narrative of being a contender to Cyborg alive. Because should she go 0-2 in the UFC, that fight simply will not be happening.
Zingano enters the fight with a record of 10-3 and in her last fight she snapped a three fight losing streak when she defeated Marion Reneau. A former bantamweight title challenger, Zingano herself is keen on facing Cyborg. With the lack of contenders at women’s featherweight, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the winner is set up for a title-shot.
Zingano, mind you, can always head back to bantamweight if things don’t go her way. For Megan Anderson, however, this very much feels like her last chance.
UFC 232 takes place Saturday, December 29 at The Forum in Los Angeles. The card airs exclusively on PPV in North America after televised and online prelims, and on BT Sport in the UK. In India, the card airs on Sunday, December 30, live on SONY TEN 2 SD and SONY TEN 2 HD.
