Bethe Correia: Jessica Eye has been ducking me all year until now

Bethe Correia and Jessica Eye will meet inside the Octagon at UFC 203, but the Brazilian thinks the bout should have happened months ago. Correia vs. Eye was originally reported as planned for Feb. 21 in Pittsburgh, but never came to fruition. Correia eventually fought Raquel Pennington at UFC on FOX 19 in April, but insists that was the plan B.

“The UFC tried to book this fight three or four times, but it never happened,” Correia told MMA Fighting. “I think she turned it down a few times. We were supposed to fight in February but she came up with this story about a movie that I’m still waiting for its premiere [laughs]. I don’t know why. So the UFC gave me another opponent. When they called me again offering the fight [at UFC 203], I said ‘yes’ right away, but it took a month for her to finally accept it. Maybe she doesn’t want to fight me. I don’t know why it took so long for her to say ‘yes.’”

Speaking with the media at the UFC 203 open workouts in Cleveland on Wednesday, Eye confirmed that she discussed doing a movie, the same one former UFC champions Miesha Tate and Holly Holm did alongside Cris Cyborg, but it never came to fruition. As of turning down a bout with Correia, Eye explains that she almost left her gym to take the fight in Pittsburgh.

“I wish Marcus (Marinelli) was here right now because I caused a s–tstorm,” Eye said. “I begged for that fight in Pittsburgh. I sat in his office and begged. I said ‘Marcus, I’m on a losing streak. I’d go to Pittsburgh, it’s right around the corner. It’s in my hometown, all my people can drive, they can be there and support me,’ and Marcus said ‘no, it’s not the right time, Jessica. It’s not.’ And I’m …

continue reading in source www.mmafighting.com