Despite all her contributions and success in women’s MMA, Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos will likely miss out on a golden ticket to the UFC.
The former Strikeforce featherweight champ is arguably the most dominant woman in the history of any combat sport, but at 145 pounds, there isn’t enough talent yet to fill up a division.
Instead, the UFC has opted to go with Strikeforce bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey and the 135-pound division.
The disparity of talent still remains slim at 135 pounds, but there is enough talent to build upon and take women’s MMA to the next level.
Unfortunately, Cyborg may have to miss out on it.
There was talk of her considering a drop in weight, but after meeting with doctors, the Brazilian’s hopes and dreams were instantly shot down.
Members of Cyborg’s camp confirmed the news to MMAWeekly.com on Tuesday.
According to the doctors, a cut to 135 pounds would be dangerous to Cyborg’s physical health. The dangers of the weight cut could even cost her the ability to carry a child later in life, which was a risk she wasn’t willing to take.
Regardless, Cyborg’s cardiologist refused to sign off on a drop to 135 pounds.
Cyborg made history in August 2009 by defeating Gina Carano for the Strikeforce title to become the first ever mainstream women’s MMA champion. Her fierce striking and rare athletic abilities have yet to be matched by any woman in the sport.
The UFC has yet to lay out a plan for the newly-acquired women’s division. Perhaps the promotion would consider extending the weight limit to 140-pounds to open up the doors to more talent.
A bout between Cyborg and Rousey has been talked about for months. Love her or hate her, Cyborg is one of the most talented female fighters on the planet.
It would make little sense to leave her out of the mix.
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