Cris "Cyborg" Justino could have sulked and shied away from the world after her shocking loss to Amanda Nunes in 51 seconds at UFC 232 at the end of December.

Many would have understood if she had chosen that route. In a flash, her 21-fight unbeaten streak had evaporated, the women's featherweight title was no longer hers and the mystique of being perhaps the baddest woman on the planet — and the greatest female fighter of all time — was no more. To Cyborg, none of it mattered as she got ready for a mission bigger than stepping inside the Octagon.

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In March, the Brazilian went to Uganda to help Bellator fighter Justin Wren and his Fight for the Forgotten, an initiative he started to help empower people who don’t have a voice, from those effected by water crises to those bullied in their own neighborhoods and schools. Cyborg helped Wren and his team install two water wells to ensure those in the country have safe drinking water.

"I think it’s very important to give back,” Cyborg told Sporting News. "I think when you’re blessed like I am, you have to share your blessings. When God blesses you, you cannot just not give back. You have to have those blessings to help people and give them hope. It motivates me. It’s not just about a fight. I think fighting is a good reason for me to share my faith and use my fame to help people. I want to use my platform. A lot of people watch my fights. I want to be a good example because if you set a good example, you touch a lot of kids and people’s hearts."

After completing the mission, Cyborg headed back to her home state of California with a plan to head back to Africa in June. She would go to South Africa to train, even though she didn't have a fight lined up. Everything changed at the end of May when it was revealed Cyborg would return to take on Felicia Spencer in the co-main event of Saturday's UFC 240.

She could have postponed the trip until after the fight and finished her camp in her comfort zone. Instead, Cyborg made the trip and completed her camp in Johannesburg. For the 34-year-old, it was a worthwhile excursion. It showed that, even though she's a world-class athlete, it's more important to show people there's more to life than fighting.

"A lot of young kids train MMA over there," Cyborg said. "I like to learn. Every fight, I like to go somewhere different. I’ve gone to Thailand and other places. I learn something from every fight. They have a good team over there, and I really enjoyed the time. Being over there motivated me because not only did I learn some new things I can put into this fight, I was able to show some of my tricks and wisdom to these kids who really enjoy MMA.

"It's about giving back to help the future, and I'm blessed and fortunate to be in the position to where I can help people."

In her first video blog heading into UFC 240, Cyborg rewatched the fight with Nunes on her phone. One would assume it would be difficult to watch considering the result.

Not for Cyborg. She knew what she was getting into when she entered mixed martial arts and made her professional debut in May 2005. Sometimes the end result isn't what you wanted — but only because it could be part of a bigger plan down the line.

"I always have in my mind before the fight that you can either win or lose," Cyborg said. "I started doing sports when I was 12. The one thing I learned was when you do sports, you have to understand winning and losing. You cannot think about having in your mind that you will win forever and are never going to lose. It happens. It wasn’t my day against Amanda. Maybe it was in God’s plan to lose the fight. I was sad in my heart for a minute after the fight. But I think God has an amazing plan for me. I believe that.

"I work really hard. I train really hard for all my fights. For that fight, it was the same thing. I know there’s a 50 percent chance I win and a 50 percent chance I lose," Cyborg said. "On that day, Amanda caught me. It happens. Every fighter has to know that. If you know that it’s a dangerous sport, you will one day and one day you will lose."

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UFC 240 is the final fight on Cyborg's contract with the organization. There has been a lot of discussion on what's next for Cyborg. UFC President Dana White has said she doesn't want to face Nunes again — which Cyborg has refuted in the past.

Could this be the final time she fights in the UFC?

"You just to have focus on what you can control," Cyborg said. "I control my fight on Saturday. I’m going to fight on Saturday. I cannot control people lying. I cannot control people talking about me and what they are saying. Why worry about something I cannot control?

"I know myself. My fans know who I am. Saturday, I’m going to fight. I’m very excited about the fight. I’m very blessed for this opportunity. I don’t think about anything else. I just think about the fight on Saturday. After the fight, my team is going to work on what’s going to be the next opportunity for me."