UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey can’t escape questions about featherweight standout Cris Cyborg, especially while on a media tour of Brazil.
Reaffirming she still wants the grudge match with her nemesis, Rousey says Cyborg is an embarrassment to not only women’s MMA, but to her home country of Brazil.
“I’m the champion,” Rousey told Combate. “I fight whoever comes up. She’s the one who has options, not me. I’m exactly where I was when she left and she can come back and give it a try anytime. She’ll get what she deserves. She really embarrassed not just women’s MMA and the sport, she embarrassed her country, as well. I’m happy to set it straight.”
In 2012, Cyborg was suspended one year and fined $2,500 by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) after testing positive for stanozolol following her brutal, 16-second TKO of Hiroko Yamanaka at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal in December, 2011.
“She says she so ‘desperately’ wants [the fight],” said Rousey. “Then how come the day after they announced out-of-competition drug testing in the UFC she asked to be released? If you so desperately wanted a fight you would come fight me, not run away. I think she’s saying one thing and doing another. I’ve always been [in the UFC]. I’m not going anywhere.”
Scheduled to make her bantamweight debut Dec. 4 at Invicta FC 10, Cyborg says Rousey has been dodging her since the Judo Olympian moved to 135 pounds in 2011.
“When I was Strikeforce champ she was in my weight class at 145 and she ran to 135 so she cannot fight me,” Cyborg told Submission Radio last week. “She’s trying to use my mistake saying, ‘Ah she don’t want to be in the UFC because of heavy doping tests,’ but she’s lying because I don’t go to the UFC because I have to cut for 135 and at the time when I talked to the UFC I wasn’t not ready for this.
“I think she keeps talking and keeps running and I think if I make 135 she cannot run anymore, because everybody, all the fans want to watch the fight and I think the only way for this fight to happen and to make her shut up is to make 135.”
According to UFC president Dana White, Rousey will likely face No. 1 contender Cat Zingano Jan. 3 at UFC 182 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
Fortunes changed for five. Dave Melzter explains how Rory MacDonald, Rafael Assuncao, Rick Story, Gunnar Nelson and Max Holloway move forward following this past weekend’s UFC doubleheader.
Welterweight wackiness. From wins for Rory MacDonald and Rick Story to weirdness from Josh Burkman and Hector Lombard, Chuck Mindenhall recaps a weekend that centered around 170 pounds.
Fair-weather Swedes. Alexander Gustafsson isn’t happy with the reaction from Swedish fans and media after his teammates had a bad night in Stockholm.
Rory MacDonald’s shot. Tristar trainer Firas Zahabi understands why the UFC may have held back on giving his fighter a title shot, but believes things have changed after Saturday’s KO of Tarec Saffedine.
‘I’m in his head.’ Chad Mendes believes he’s already ahead of Jose Aldo in the mental department and would love to make his first title defense to Conor McGregor.
Watch The MMA Hour with Chad Mendes, Todd Duffee, Firas Zahabi, Raphael Assuncao, Chris Kelades, Ryan Ford, Roan Carneiro and Joe Schilling.
MEDIA STEW
Johny Hendricks‘ push to make weight at UFC 171.
Dominick Cruz seems pretty OK with ‘stoolgate.’
The UFC Featherweights vs. Conor McGregor.
UFC bantamweight Cody Gibson had a rough bar fight.
Robin Black breaks down Rory MacDonald’s performance against Tarec Saffedine.
Rampage Jackson’s worst job.
Long watches.
Super Fight League 35 United States Of America
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UFC-hangout with Forrest Griffin and Joanne Calderwood
TWEETS
Title shot or bust.
@danawhite @ufc @headrushbrand @tristargym @arielhelwani #titleshotorbust plz retweet pic.twitter.com/2vcX0qdBiv
— Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) October 6, 2014
Damn.
I’m so disappointed in Michael phelps
— nick diaz (@nickdiaz209) October 7, 2014
Rough.
When it rains it pours. If you’re human, you make mistakes. The worth of a man is not whether or not he falls, it’s if gets up
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) October 6, 2014
Rockhold just out there shadowboxing at night.
You get out what you put in! Night run/shadow box. Nov 8th watch me kill Bisping. #UFCFightNi… http://t.co/km3EObV5wy pic.twitter.com/rChOU1ua6X
— Luke Rockhold (@LukeRockhold) October 6, 2014
Very cool.
Great to see my friend @nadineharris200 today!! Supporting me since day 1!! Good luck in surgery tomorrow Nadine 🙂 pic.twitter.com/s7gHfKhjZT
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 5, 2014
E.T.
pic.twitter.com/ExJtugBEk2 this one cracked me up….
— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) October 6, 2014
Called out.
I’ve brought my b-ball shoes to last 3 ufc’s…RT @karlt187: @BensonHenderson stop dodging @arielhelwani for that game of hoops bendo!
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) October 6, 2014
OK.
#Seltering with @JenSelter at the @CentralPAFit Expo before our autograph signing http://t.co/9bUbY6TO6U pic.twitter.com/TUBDEFAKzs
— Phil Davis (@PhilMrWonderful) October 6, 2014
F**k it.
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By @benguntattoo via @RepostWhiz app: Good times with good friend @cowboycerrone # tattoo #mantratattoo #selfservicetattoos (#RepostWhiz app)
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (Oct. 6 2014)
Rousimar Palhares vs. Jon Fitch at WSOF 16
Justin Gaethje vs. Melvin Guillard at WSOF 15
Jessica Aguilar vs. Kalindra Faria at WSOF 15
FANPOST OF THE DAY
Today’s Fanpost of the Day comes via ByronD003.
MMA SCORING SYSTEM NEEDS A CHANGE
I have looked at all the problems with our current 10 Point Must System and a lot of people tend to think the current system is fine, the problem is the judges. Although there is a judging problem in fighting, the current system displayed today is the main problem. Even with a good judge there are a lot of fights where one fighter does just enough to win the round and gets scored 10-9, and another fighter does more, maybe not enough to end the fight but enough to take the round and that gets scored 10-9. The problem is those are two completely different rounds yet they both get scored the exact same. The min/min system not only eliminates that problem, but also adds more clarity to the judges for bad decisions. What needs to be understood is a MMA match is a fight until it goes to a decision, than it becomes a sport. And with the min/min system each minute being scored does a very crucial thing. It judges based on what actually happened in the fight, not what could have happened. If fighter X is convincingly winning 4 minutes of the fight and fighter Y rocks his opponent but he survives the round, to most with the current system, that means fighter Y won the round, but that’s not exactly true.
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Check out the rest of the post here.
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