After weeks of both of Strikeforce’s top female fighters, Ronda Rousey and Cris Cyborg, taking shots at one another, tonight the official call-out took place.
Following Rousey’s quick submission win over Sarah Kaufman, when being interviewed by Mauro Ranallo, Rousey immediately called out Cyborg.
Rousey said (h/t Mike Chiappetta, MMAFighting.com), “I need to send out a challenge to Miss Cyborg out there. People want to see 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.”
Earlier this week, when reports suggested Cyborg wanted the fight at 145, Rousey stated on TSN Radio’s The MMA Report with John Pollock (h/t Chiappetta, MMAFighting.com) that to make the 135-pound weight cut Cyborg should, “Stop doping and lose weight.”
The fight needs no hype at all. Rousey has looked simply unstoppable since her transition to MMA from judo. She’s 6-0 with all her wins coming by first-round submission via her lethal armbar. But Rousey isn’t the first dominate female in Strikeforce.
Before there was Rousey, there was Cris Cyborg. Cyborg is 10-1, with eight of her wins coming by way of knockout. She’s one of the most powerful women ever to compete in MMA, and before her recent positive drug test, she was considered to best female fighter on the planet.
Cyborg’s year-long suspension will end sometime in December, and the potential of a bout between Rousey and Cyborg should have all MMA fans—not just fans of women’s MMA—pumped for what could lie ahead.
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