Ronda Rousey’s attempts to provoke a showdown with the former Strikerforce women’s featherweight champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos has been met with a curt reply, with the Brazilian rebuking “Rowdy’s” challenge.
Ronda called Cyborg out shortly after her first round victory against Sarah Kaufmann to retain the 135 lb title last weekend, but Cyborg says Rousey has to step up to 145 if she wants a fight with her.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Cyborg said:
“I get many questions about Ronda Rousey, and I would like to set the record straight for the last time, as I do not consider her much personally, much less as a fighter… She claims she is the champion and openly challenges me to fight at 135 pounds, which I find laughable. She competed in the Beijing Olympics at 154 pounds and fought at 145 pounds in MMA until she learned she would have to fight me and then dropped to 135 pounds.”
“I have never fought below 145 pounds, and I am considered the pound-for-pound top woman fighter in the world. I have yet to lose a fight while holding the Strikeforce 145-pound title. My last fight was considered a no contest, but that has not changed the fact that I am the women’s 145-pound champion.”
Cyborg is currently serving out a ban for failing a drug test in 2011, when she tested positive for the banned steroid stanozolol after her fight against Hiroko Yamanaka. The fight, in which she scored a first round TKO of the Japanese fighter, was declared a no-contest by the California State Athletic Commission and she was subsequently stripped of her Strikeforce title.
Rousey, whose gone on to a remarkable 6-0 record in her short MMA career, captured the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight title in a fight against Miesha Tate in March and has openly talked of her desire to fight Cyborg.
After her first title defence against Kaufmann, Rousey said, “I need to send out a challenge to Ms. Cyborg, there… People want to see you have the first fair fight of your life. I’m the champ now. The champ doesn’t go to you. You go to the champ. Come down to 135 and let’s settle this”.
Santos, however, told MMA Junkie that her doctors have advised her against dropping down to 135.
“There really is not a safe way for me to cut to 135lbs – not without hurting myself physically… I am less than eight percent body fat at 145 lbs, and my cardiologist and physician have advised me that to make such a drastic reduction in weight could have permanent effects on my long-term health. I will not endanger my health to satisfy the rantings of a spoiled little girl who has yet to prove that she can truly compete at my level at a weight she has not only fought at before but has been awarded an Olympic medal.”
Cyborg’s suspension is due to end in December and the Brazilian made it clear that she has no intention to be distracted by talk of a possible fight with Rousey on her return.
“To put this issue to rest, if Ronda is the future of women’s MMA and is the champion that she envisions, you know where I am, and I am more than willing to give you an opportunity to test me,” Santos said. “I will fight you at 145 pounds – you know, the weight that you started at – and then you can have two belts and prove to everyone that you are indeed a champion. If not, stay at 135 pounds and continue to delude yourself and your fans that you can beat me. You’re really not worth my time otherwise.
“I will do all of my talking in the ring. Until then, you’re really not worth my breath.”
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