Dana White: Ronda Rousey vs. Cyborg Justino would do 2.5 million PPV buys

Don’t think that UFC president Dana White doesn’t understand just how big a bout between Ronda Rousey and Cris “Cyborg” Justino can be.

After Rousey, the UFC’s mainstream superstar, added to her resume with a 34-second knockout victory over Bethe Correia to retain her women’s bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 190 Saturday night, White believes Rousey vs. Cyborg would shatter MMA pay-per-view records.

“I think that fight does 2.5 million buys,” White told MMAFighting.com‘s Ariel Helwani on FOX Sports 1. “I think that fight is massive.”

Of course, the stumbling block that has kept the fight from happening has yet to be removed. Rousey, who holds all the cards, will only fight Justino at 135 pounds. Cris Cyborg, the former Strikeforce and current Invicta featherweight champion, has yet to attempt to get down to 135.

Ever since Justino signed with Invicta, the plan has been for Cyborg to get down to 135 pounds in an Invicta fight, and, if all goes well, move over to the UFC and take the Rousey fight.

As far as White is concerned, that’s still the plan.

“The Cyborg thing is complicated, because, I’m ready for Cyborg, Ronda’s ready for Cyborg, but Cyborg has to make the weight,” White said. “If you see tonight, if you look around, and you see that Ronda is here in Brazil, with a sold-out crowd, the place was cheering for her, which I’ve never seen in Brazil, ever, Brazil only cheers Brazilians, and they’re cheering for Ronda, I’d be cutting weight now and chomping at the bit to fight Ronda if I was Cyborg. That fight is ready to roll whenever Cyborg is ready.”

For her part, Rousey has her suspicions on why Justino hasn’t yet dropped to 135.

“I fight in the UFC 135-pound division,” Rousey said at the post-fight press conference. “She can fight 145 pumped full of steroids, and she can make weight just like everybody else without ‘em.”

Justino was suspended a year by the state of California after testing positive for steroids following a 2011 bout in San Diego.

Don’t think that UFC president Dana White doesn’t understand just how big a bout between Ronda Rousey and Cris “Cyborg” Justino can be.

After Rousey, the UFC’s mainstream superstar, added to her resume with a 34-second knockout victory over Bethe Correia to retain her women’s bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 190 Saturday night, White believes Rousey vs. Cyborg would shatter MMA pay-per-view records.

“I think that fight does 2.5 million buys,” White told MMAFighting.com‘s Ariel Helwani on FOX Sports 1. “I think that fight is massive.”

Of course, the stumbling block that has kept the fight from happening has yet to be removed. Rousey, who holds all the cards, will only fight Justino at 135 pounds. Cris Cyborg, the former Strikeforce and current Invicta featherweight champion, has yet to attempt to get down to 135.

Ever since Justino signed with Invicta, the plan has been for Cyborg to get down to 135 pounds in an Invicta fight, and, if all goes well, move over to the UFC and take the Rousey fight.

As far as White is concerned, that’s still the plan.

“The Cyborg thing is complicated, because, I’m ready for Cyborg, Ronda’s ready for Cyborg, but Cyborg has to make the weight,” White said. “If you see tonight, if you look around, and you see that Ronda is here in Brazil, with a sold-out crowd, the place was cheering for her, which I’ve never seen in Brazil, ever, Brazil only cheers Brazilians, and they’re cheering for Ronda, I’d be cutting weight now and chomping at the bit to fight Ronda if I was Cyborg. That fight is ready to roll whenever Cyborg is ready.”

For her part, Rousey has her suspicions on why Justino hasn’t yet dropped to 135.

“I fight in the UFC 135-pound division,” Rousey said at the post-fight press conference. “She can fight 145 pumped full of steroids, and she can make weight just like everybody else without ‘em.”

Justino was suspended a year by the state of California after testing positive for steroids following a 2011 bout in San Diego.