Oritz claims Cyborg offered fight with Rousey at Cowboys Stadium

Tito Ortiz, the wrestling coach and former manager for Cris “Cyborg” Justino, said that the UFC has offered Justino a title fight with Ronda Rousey on the Dallas Cowboy’s home field and said he encouraged her to take it.

While not officially announced, UFC President Dana White has talked of a potential mega-event at AT &T Stadium in Dallas on Dec. 5, hinting of title matches involving the company’s two biggest drawing cards, Rousey and Conor McGregor.

While White had talked of Rousey’s next opponent being Miesha Tate, he also said they would promote a Rousey vs. Justino fight immediately if Justino can make the 135-pound bantamweight limit. White predicted that a Rousey (12-0) vs. Cyborg (14-1, 1 no contest) battle of the two most dominant female fighters of all-time would do 2.5 million pay-per-view buys.

Only one event in pay-per-view history has topped 2.5 million buys, which was the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight in May. Mayweather vs. Oscar de la Hoya in 2007 came in just under that number. The UFC has only had one event in its history, UFC 100, which has even done half that number. While the predicted number on the surface sounds outrageous, Rousey’s drawing power and popularity have greatly increased over the past year, to the point her fight with Bethe Correia on Aug. 1, which was not expected to do anywhere near the business the July 11 McGregor vs. Chad Mendes fight did, is now believed to have topped that events’ estimated 800,000 buys and been the most purchased UFC pay-per-view fight this year.

A fight with Justino would likely garner more mainstream media interest than any UFC fight in history.

The key to the fight has always been Justino’s ability to make 135 pounds, which Ortiz, who said Justino was one of his best friends, said on Friday night’s edition of Inside MMA that she would do.

“Will she make 135? Yes. Before I had doubts. I’ve talked to her over the last couple of months and she’s said she has to make the weight because Ronda keeps talking about her.”

“I’ve heard from Cris actually that the fight that’s supposed to be happening at the Cowboys’s Arena. They offered the fight to Cris,” Ortiz said. “I know her management said yes and I’ve told her, `Let’s do it.’ So I guess the ball’s all in Ronda’s corner and Ronda wants to do it. Dana said if Cris came down to 135, they’ll make the fight happen. So let’s see if Ronda accepts the fight.”

“It will be the biggest pay-per-view ever and Ronda will not have her hand raised.”

Ortiz, 40, will challenge Liam McGeary for the Bellator light heavyweight title on Sept. 19 in San Jose in the main event of Bellator’s next heavily promoted event.

He said his goal would be to become the first person to hold both a UFC and Bellator championship.

“At the age of 40, I feel better than I did at 30,” he said, crediting having a peaceful mind and a great companion, former UFC ring girl and model Amber Nicole Miller.

“It’s not just wanting the belt, but to show people you can bounce back and defy all odds.”

Ortiz also said he would love to face Fedor Emelianenko, but would want the fight at 205 pounds.

“Please, I’d love it, if he can get down to 205 pounds, come on down ” he said when asked about a proposed fight now that Emelianenko, 38, is being shopped around for a comeback fight. 

Ortiz also claimed that he suffered a detached retina prior to his most recent fight with Stephan Bonnar on Nov. 15 in San Diego.

He said the injury took place after he was cleared for the fight, and decided to do the fight anyway.

“That’s how bad I disliked Bonnar,” he said.

Tito Ortiz, the wrestling coach and former manager for Cris “Cyborg” Justino, said that the UFC has offered Justino a title fight with Ronda Rousey on the Dallas Cowboy’s home field and said he encouraged her to take it.

While not officially announced, UFC President Dana White has talked of a potential mega-event at AT &T Stadium in Dallas on Dec. 5, hinting of title matches involving the company’s two biggest drawing cards, Rousey and Conor McGregor.

While White had talked of Rousey’s next opponent being Miesha Tate, he also said they would promote a Rousey vs. Justino fight immediately if Justino can make the 135-pound bantamweight limit. White predicted that a Rousey (12-0) vs. Cyborg (14-1, 1 no contest) battle of the two most dominant female fighters of all-time would do 2.5 million pay-per-view buys.

Only one event in pay-per-view history has topped 2.5 million buys, which was the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight in May. Mayweather vs. Oscar de la Hoya in 2007 came in just under that number. The UFC has only had one event in its history, UFC 100, which has even done half that number. While the predicted number on the surface sounds outrageous, Rousey’s drawing power and popularity have greatly increased over the past year, to the point her fight with Bethe Correia on Aug. 1, which was not expected to do anywhere near the business the July 11 McGregor vs. Chad Mendes fight did, is now believed to have topped that events’ estimated 800,000 buys and been the most purchased UFC pay-per-view fight this year.

A fight with Justino would likely garner more mainstream media interest than any UFC fight in history.

The key to the fight has always been Justino’s ability to make 135 pounds, which Ortiz, who said Justino was one of his best friends, said on Friday night’s edition of Inside MMA that she would do.

“Will she make 135? Yes. Before I had doubts. I’ve talked to her over the last couple of months and she’s said she has to make the weight because Ronda keeps talking about her.”

“I’ve heard from Cris actually that the fight that’s supposed to be happening at the Cowboys’s Arena. They offered the fight to Cris,” Ortiz said. “I know her management said yes and I’ve told her, `Let’s do it.’ So I guess the ball’s all in Ronda’s corner and Ronda wants to do it. Dana said if Cris came down to 135, they’ll make the fight happen. So let’s see if Ronda accepts the fight.”

“It will be the biggest pay-per-view ever and Ronda will not have her hand raised.”

Ortiz, 40, will challenge Liam McGeary for the Bellator light heavyweight title on Sept. 19 in San Jose in the main event of Bellator’s next heavily promoted event.

He said his goal would be to become the first person to hold both a UFC and Bellator championship.

“At the age of 40, I feel better than I did at 30,” he said, crediting having a peaceful mind and a great companion, former UFC ring girl and model Amber Nicole Miller.

“It’s not just wanting the belt, but to show people you can bounce back and defy all odds.”

Ortiz also said he would love to face Fedor Emelianenko, but would want the fight at 205 pounds.

“Please, I’d love it, if he can get down to 205 pounds, come on down ” he said when asked about a proposed fight now that Emelianenko, 38, is being shopped around for a comeback fight. 

Ortiz also claimed that he suffered a detached retina prior to his most recent fight with Stephan Bonnar on Nov. 15 in San Diego.

He said the injury took place after he was cleared for the fight, and decided to do the fight anyway.

“That’s how bad I disliked Bonnar,” he said.