Some rivalries burn in the cage. Others ignite online. Kayla Harrison and Cris Cyborg haven’t fought each other, but they’ve traded enough jabs on social media to make fans feel they have! And recently, another spark was lit. The backdrop? Not just their personal feud, but a storm around the UFC’s treatment of Russian fighters, which even legends like Khabib Nurmagomedov have spoken out about.

It began with an update on Vadim Nemkov. Reports emerged that the PFL fighter signed a new two-year deal, explaining in an interview with Ushatayka, “I would probably go to the UFC, but they made it clear to me that they are not particularly interested in fighters from Russia. They said that fighters from Russia are not needed yet, because tournaments are not held, broadcasts do not really make money…” and even claimed that the UFC was only offering half of what his PFL deal was.

His words lit up X, raising questions about whether UFC boss Dana White has a Russian problem. That’s when Cris Cyborg jumped in and took aim straight at Kayla Harrison with, “Kayla signed for half just to avoid fighting me.” The implication? Harrison gave up money just to dodge their long-awaited clash with her move to the Octagon.

The UFC women’s bantamweight champion didn’t stay silent. “Not true sweetie. Also, why are you so obsessed with me?” she fired back, flipping the accusation into a counterpunch. But the exchange didn’t end there.

Cyborg doubled down with another jab as she wrote, “Victim mentality… Run Kayla run!!”  But was that fair? Let’s take a step back. Cyborg has history on her side. She’s fought champions across nearly every major promotion and was Bellator’s last featherweight queen. When the PFL absorbed Bellator, she hoped the stars would align. For years, fans had circled Kayla Harrison vs. Cris Cyborg as the fight that could define women’s MMA.

But instead, Harrison took a different path. She signed with the UFC, where she blasted through Holly Holm and Ketlen Vieira to earn a crack at Julianna Peña’s bantamweight crown and won it in spectacular fashion at UFC 316. That decision stung for Cyborg, who told MMA Junkie back in May, “Everybody knows Kayla Harrison ran away from me.”

Meanwhile, the storm over Russian fighters refuses to calm. As mentioned earlier, Khabib Nurmagomedov himself recently voiced frustration during an interview where he explained, “When they didn’t give Evloev a shot at 9-0. They were stalling Ankalaev too, really badly. Then there was that whole situation with Mokaev. With Khamzat [Chimaev] it’s his own thing, visas and all that. All of it together, it definitely creates that kind of impression [that the UFC is stalling Russian fighters.]”

Whether intentional or not, the perception is there. Add Nemkov’s revelation that the UFC claimed “fighters from Russia are not needed,” and the so-called ‘Russian curse’ begins to look less like a conspiracy theory and more like an ongoing problem. Yet, Cris Cyborg isn’t just focused on Kayla Harrison. With rumors floating around about the Amanda Nunes vs Harrison showdown, Cyborg has thrown her hat into the ring for that matchup already!

Cris Cyborg is ready to settle the score with both Harrison and Amanda Nunes

Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison is the kind of clash that sends shockwaves through the fight world. Rumors of the matchup surfaced during International Fight Week, when fans saw the first spark. Harrison had just secured her crowning moment at UFC 316, forcing Julianna Peña to tap in the co-main event. And instead of celebrating quietly, she grabbed the mic and called out her former teammate, who obliged by stepping into the Octagon and facing off with the newly crowned champion!

As such, recently, a post on social media shared a rumor that the UFC is targeting the Nunes vs Harrison clash for December of this year, and Cyborg immediately chimed in with, “Gimme the winner”

It wasn’t just bravado. Cyborg’s résumé speaks louder than words. She’s one of the few athletes in MMA history to hold titles in nearly every major promotion: UFC, Bellator, PFL, Strikeforce, and Invicta. Her only UFC loss came in 2018, when Amanda Nunes stunned her inside a minute to capture the featherweight belt, ending Cyborg’s 13-year unbeaten streak.

That rematch never materialized. Neither did a fight with Harrison, despite teases during the PFL–Bellator merger. For Cyborg, the Harrison–Nunes rumors are a chance to settle old business. Beating either woman would add another chapter to a legacy already cemented.

Of course, all of this is still speculative. The UFC has not confirmed Harrison vs. Nunes for UFC 323, and the matchup remains firmly in the “rumor” category at the time of writing. And so, Kayla Harrison, Amanda Nunes, and Cris Cyborg stand at the center of a generational clash, while the UFC and Dana White face growing scrutiny over how they handle their Russian talent.