UFC Hall of Famer/Bellator light heavyweight Tito Ortiz says his friend and former client Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino cannot possibly make the bantamweight limit of 135 pounds, so a superfight with UFC champ Ronda Rousey should take place at a catchweight or 145 pounds.
Speaking on Sunday’s edition of Submission Radio, the self-proclaimed “People’s Champion” said that the face of women’s MMA wasn’t being realistic about squaring off with Justino at bantamweight:
I’m still very close friends with Cris. She was at my last fight, and I’d seen her after her last fight, and trying to get her down to 135 is almost impossible. … And if Ronda made it catchweight, I know Ronda doesn’t want to do it because she doesn’t want to lose. I see—I mean this is strictly my opinion—I just think that’s the only way that fight is ever going to happen, is if it’s at a catch weight. Because Cris is not gonna make 135. She’s never made 135. She’s always made 145 and that’s been her weight her whole career. … I mean she wanted to fight Gina Carano at 145 so what’s the difference of fighting Cris Cyborg at 145?
Justino, a career featherweight, is the reigning 145-pound champ for Invicta FC who scored back-to-back TKO’s with the promotion in 2013.
The Brazilian slugger was expected to make her bantamweight debut Friday at Invicta FC 5, but she withdrew from the matchup last month due to an ankle injury, per Sherdog.
Rousey and Justino have engaged in a very public feud for the past couple of years, with Rousey insisting that Justino could make 135 pounds if she stopped using performance-enhancing drugs.
Meanwhile, Justino has fired back that Rousey talks a big game, but she is afraid to step up to the plate when it counts, per Kirik Jenness of MixedMartialArts.com.
Ortiz was Justino’s co-manager when she cut ties with Zuffa LLC, the parent company of the UFC, in February 2013 when the two sides could not agree to a contract that included a showdown with Rousey at bantamweight.
Rousey, 10-0, next defends her UFC championship gold against top bantamweight contender Cat Zingano at UFC 184 on February 28.
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
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