LAS VEGAS — Cris Cyborg stands to make a boatload of money in a fight with Ronda Rousey in the near future, based at least partially on Rousey’s undefeated record. Yet that won’t stand in the way of Cyborg rooting for her countrywoman — and against her bitter rival — next month.
Cyborg said she’ll be firmly behind Bethe Correia when Correia challenges Rousey for the UFC women’s bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 190 on Aug. 1 in Rio de Janeiro. Cyborg, whose real name is Cristiane Justino, said she also hopes to be in attendance for the bout.
“I hope Bethe kicks her ass,” Cyborg said at Invicta FC 13 media day Tuesday. “I think [that], I want [that]. I think [Correia is] a good fighter, good boxing. I think it’s a good fight for Ronda.”
In Justino’s mind, Correia winning also doesn’t necessarily mean a fight with Rousey would be off the table. Cyborg defends her Invicta women’s featherweight title against Faith Van Duin in the main event of Invicta FC 13 on Thursday night at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. She’ll likely take one more fight with Invicta and if she can make 135 pounds the UFC will bring her in for a blockbuster matchup with Rousey.
“I think everybody wants to watch this fight,” Cyborg said. “I think it’s very important for women’s MMA. I want to be part of this.”
Rousey and Correia have been going back and forth for almost as long as Rousey and Cyborg have. Correia defeated Rousey’s two friends, Jessamyn Duke and Shayna Baszler, and taunted the champion after each one. She might have taken things too far, though, last month when she said she hoped Rousey didn’t kill herself after losing in Brazil. Rousey’s father committed suicide when she was a child.
Rousey (10-0) has said in multiple interviews that she wants to make Correia pay for her words — and she’s even willing to extend the fight to inflict as much pain on her as possible. Correia did apologize to Rousey on Twitter, saying she wasn’t aware of how her father died.
Cyborg (13-1, 1 NC) said she didn’t see what Correia said about Rousey’s father, but she thinks Rousey had whatever Correia said coming since Rousey talks so much crap.
“Ronda deserves it,” Justino said. “She always speaks sh*t. I don’t know what [Correia said]. If Bethe says something, it’s because Ronda said something. She likes to talk bad about everybody. That’s her game; not my game. I never said anything about her bad, nothing.”
Cyborg still is not 100 percent sure she’ll make 135 pounds, but she’ll try to do it in a healthy way with nutritionist George Lockhart helping her following the Van Duin fight. The UFC’s new anti-doping policy run by USADA bans IVs following weigh-ins, which will further complicate matters. But Rousey is a fight Justino wants badly, even if she loses to Correia in three weeks.
“For me, if it was easy to make 135,” Cyborg said. “Of course I would make this fight.”