Now that Cristiane Justino is no longer keeper of the 145-pound castle, and not in a position of championship power, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is once again treating the Brazilian “Cyborg” like a piece of crap, because of some goofy vendetta dating back to the Ronda Rousey days.
Justino remains unfazed.
The former Strikeforce and Invicta FC champ is gearing up for the final fight on her UFC contract, a featherweight showdown opposite Felicia Spencer later this month in Toronto, a fight that could determine her worth in both victory and defeat.
“There’s nothing personal between the UFC and I. I see it as business, so the decisions we make, that I make, what will happen, certainly will be something good for me,” Justino told MMA Fighting. “I’ve fought for many promotions. EliteXC, Strikeforce champion, Invicta FC champion, the UFC, and I think the UFC is no different from the other promotions I’ve fought for before. It made my career and history stronger. Everybody already knew who Cris Cyborg was before I went to the UFC so, in reality, I brought my fans with me when I went to fight in the UFC. (My fans) campaigned to have me fighting in the UFC, and I’m happy with that.”
Justino (20-2, 1 NC) watched her undefeated streak go up in smoke after Amanda Nunes finished her at UFC 232 last December. “Cyborg” quickly called for an immediate rematch, based on her previous body of work (and lack of featherweight contenders), but the promotion (and “Lioness”) had other ideas.
Like Nunes vs. Holly Holm at UFC 239.
If Justino is able to defeat Spencer in Toronto, she’s likely to receive a new offer from UFC, though her name value is likely to make her a hot commodity for competing promotions, like Bellator MMA and ONE Championship.
We’ll find out soon enough.