Cyborg calls for Nunes rematch to rescue UFC 332 after Shevchenko withdraws

Cris Cyborg has thrown herself forward as the solution to UFC 332’s headliner crisis, calling out retired two-division champion Amanda Nunes for a rematch at the October 3 event in Salt Lake City — a card that currently has no announced main event.

Cyborg posted the challenge on X, writing: “[Amanda Nunes] tired of waiting for [Kayla Harrison]? Feel like saving an UFC event?” The message referenced the collapse of a planned bout between Nunes and Kayla Harrison earlier this year, which fell apart after Harrison suffered a neck injury.

The UFC 332 headliner problem stems from the reported withdrawal of Valentina Shevchenko, who had been linked to a women’s flyweight title defence against Natalia Silva. With other UFC champions either having recently competed or already scheduled for later cards, the promotion is understood to be searching for a viable replacement main event.

A Cyborg-Nunes rematch would carry genuine weight. The pair first met at UFC 232 in December 2018, where Nunes stopped Cyborg in the first round to claim the featherweight title and become a simultaneous two-division champion — one of the most significant results in women’s MMA history. Cyborg has never faced Nunes again.

Nunes, 36, announced her retirement in 2023 and has not competed since. Cyborg, meanwhile, has continued fighting outside the UFC under the PFL banner. Her most recent outing came at PFL Tampa on August 22, where she defeated Ketlen Vieira by unanimous decision in what had been billed as her final professional MMA fight.

Whether Nunes has any appetite to come out of retirement — or whether the UFC would sanction a Cyborg return for a non-title bout — remains to be seen. As of now, the call-out is public and UFC 332 remains without a confirmed headliner.