Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos signed her entire career away the moment she decided to join forces with Tito Ortiz, according to UFC President Dana White.
The unending, venomous feud between Ortiz and White has enough layers to warrant its own TV series.
Unfortunately for Cyborg, it’s all about being on the wrong side at the wrong time. White straight up refuses to do business of any kind with Ortiz, who recently started his own management company.
After the end of his UFC tenure, Ortiz struck up a deal with longtime friend and attorney George Prajin and created Primetime 360 Entertainment & Sports Management Inc., which represents professional athletes and artists in the entertainment industry.
Cyborg, who is arguably the best women’s MMA fighter on the planet, was the first major MMA star to align with Ortiz, a move White chalked up as “professional suicide.”
“She literally committed professional suicide. The dumbest guy in the sport, literally, the dumbest guy in the sport, who has destroyed his own career, she has him guide her career. It makes no sense,” White said during a UFC 168 press stop in Brazil, according to Jeff Cain of MMAWeekly.com.
Initially, the UFC was willing to work with Cyborg.
The promotion was willing to pick up Cyborg’s tab while she competed in Invicta and gradually worked towards dropping to 135 pounds, which is the only weight class for women currently in place in the UFC.
Unfortunately, the reigning Invicta featherweight champ hasn’t been able to make the 135-pound mark, and according to doctors, via MMAWeekly‘s Damon Martin, it would be a significant health risk if she tried. With the weight drop out of the question, Ortiz rejected the UFC’s offer and asked for Cyborg to be released from her contract.
The UFC obliged and Cyborg continued her career with Invicta.
Fans have often dreamed about a super fight between Cyborg and UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey, but after hearing White’s comments in Brazil, via Cain, the odds of that bout coming to fruition are highly unlikely:
She’s got a dummy running her business who can’t run his own business. The last thing I would do, ever, is do anything with that knucklehead, and I’m not talking about Cyborg.
Guilty by association is the charge for Cyborg.
For fans, you can go ahead and scratch yet another fight you were probably looking forward to seeing.
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