Cris “Cyborg” Justino has promised to end Ronda Rousey‘s career after the UFC women’s bantamweight champion insisted the only obstacle preventing a fight between the two is money, not weight.
“She’s just waiting to be offered enough money to get her ass kicked,” said Rousey during an “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit, per Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com.
Cyborg’s retort was instant, insisting on social media that if the two were to step into the ring, it would be the American’s last fight (NSFW language):
After Rousey destroyed Bethe Correia in her previous bout, Cyborg has been touted as the only woman on the planet who could potentially halt the American’s rampant run. But given the difference in weight class—Cyborg is a 145-pound champion, while Rousey operates at a 135-pound limit—there are doubts about whether a fight could be staged.
But in the same AMA session, Rousey moved to dispel that talk, insisting that if Cyborg can make 145 on steroids—the Brazilian tested positive in 2011, per Raimondi’s piece—135 should be no problem:
The delay is all about money, not her weight. She made 145 pumped full of steroids. She can healthily make 135 without them. Her shows that she headlines lose thousands of dollars, and the majority of the tickets are given away because no one will buy them.
She needs me. So pretty much we’re waiting for her to realise that she needs to fight me before I retire, or she’ll never have enough money to retire.
Michael David Smith of NBC Sports thinks the fight is the logical next step for both of these iconic figures:
The two are widely regarded as the very best female MMA exponents of all time. Rousey has dominated the bantamweight division during her stint in the sport and has spent just 64 seconds in the Octagon while winning her previous three fights. Cyborg, by contrast, is unbeaten in over a decade and has been equally authoritative in Invicta.
It’s the fight fans around the world want to see. Both competitors have exhausted their options in their current division and while a loss would potentially tarnish the legacy of either, the prizes on offer to the winner would be unprecedented in the sport.
Rousey has also said she feels the fight against Cyborg would be a wonderful way to finish her career, but not in the manner her potential opponent suggests: “I would like me kicking her ass [to] be my retirement fight, but whether she steps up or not I’ll walk away undefeated and happily ever after regardless.”
MMA writer Mike Chiappetta thinks that if the bout is to happen, the onus is definitely on Cyborg to make sacrifices, not Rousey:
Indeed, Rousey’s stock shows no sign of deteriorating. Granted, MMA fans across the globe want to see classic encounters that are dramatic over five rounds, but there’s an encapsulating aura about the American and that’s made her an instantly recognisable figure to casual sports fans around the globe.
Encouragingly, Cyborg seems keen and of all the opposition Rousey has faced in her distinguished career, she will be the strongest. For the Brazilian, it’s a chance to make history, but given the manner in which Ronda continues to improve every time she steps foot in the Octagan, if it is to be scheduled, it’s only likely to go one way.
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