If Cris Cyborg can’t get her hands on Rousey in the Octagon, she’ll settle for the squared circle.
Women’s MMA has come a long way over the past several years, but you know what’s a real sign that it’s arrived? It had it’s first example of a must-see superfight fall apart without ever being booked. I’m referring, of course, to Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg. Everyone in the world wanted that fight … everyone except Rousey, who said she wouldn’t fight Cyborg a pound above the bantamweight limit.
Now Rousey seems to be done with MMA entirely and we’ll never see that fight in the cage. But if Cris Cyborg has her way, maybe the fight can still happen. Just in the WWE, where rumor has it Rousey is bound. Via Flo Combat:
“I think Ronda Rousey in the WWE would be an amazing thing,” Cyborg told FloCombat on Monday. “I just recently attended my first WWE event live when RAW was in [Los Angeles] filming and I absolutely loved the experience. If she really is done fighting and not returning to the UFC, I think the idea of a WWE match between us for the fans is still something everyone could get excited about.
“Could the Brazilian Vale Tudo Fighter beat the American shoot fighting champion? That seems like a pretty natural story line to a WrestleMania if you ask me. I know 70,000 fans who would still be willing to pack a stadium to see Cyborg vs. Rousey even if it took place in a three-rope ring instead of a cage.”
I guess it’d be an acceptable consolation prize, and worth tuning in for if only to see if the whole thing devolves into a shoot after years of pent up emotions get the best of both women.
For now though, we’ll just have to enjoy Cyborg and Rousey separately. The big guess is that Rousey will turn up at WrestleMania 34 on April 8th, 2018 in some sort of Four Horsewomen of MMA vs Four Horsewomen of WWE fight. As for Cyborg, she’s back in action sooner, taking on Rousey destroyer Holly Holm at UFC 219 on December 30th.