After making a statement in her UFC debut by demolishing Leslie Smith in 81 seconds in a 140-pound catchweight bout at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil earlier this month, Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino continues to call ou…
After making a statement in her UFC debut by demolishing Leslie Smith in 81 seconds in a 140-pound catchweight bout at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil earlier this month, Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino continues to call out former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey for a fight at the UFC 205 pay-per-view in New York City.
Rousey, who has yet to officially announce her UFC return, has been rumored for the debut of UFC at Madison Square Garden in New York City, which will take place at UFC 205 in November.
In the video embedded above, Cris Cyborg challenges Rousey to a “Running Man Challenge,” mocking the former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion for the second time since picking up her first official Octagon victory.
Ronda Rousey last fought in November of 2015, losing her first professional MMA fight in devastating fashion as former multiple-time women’s boxing champion Holly Holm brutally knocked out the former Olympic medalist in Judo with a head kick. Holm would later go on to lose the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship when she was submitted by current champion and fellow Rousey rival, Miesha Tate.
If Cris “Cyborg” Justino sticks to her word, Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp is keeping a spot open for her.
Cyborg shot down a reported UFC 201 fight with Germaine de Randamie recently, stating that she’ll defend her Invicta FC featherweight tit…
If Cris “Cyborg” Justino sticks to her word, Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp is keeping a spot open for her.
Cyborg shot down a reported UFC 201 fight with Germaine de Randamie recently, stating that she’ll defend her Invicta FC featherweight title next.
Knapp told MMAjunkie that the Invicta FC 18 event on July 29 – one day before UFC 201 in Atlanta – would move ahead with Cyborg in the main event if that is the road she decides to take. Knapp, though, stressed that she is currently signed to a Zuffa contract and could be placed on that card instead.
“I’m working on the 29th,” she said. “If all parties agree, then certainly she would (headline).”
Cyborg (16-1) ran through Leslie Smith at UFC 198 this past weekend. The contest took place at a catchweight of 140 pounds, though the Brazilian came in a pound under that mark. She has stated issues with trying to get down to 135 in the past to compete for the UFC’s bantamweight division.
If Cris “Cyborg” Justino sticks to her word, Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp is keeping a spot open for her.
Cyborg shot down a reported UFC 201 fight with Germaine de Randamie recently, stating that she’ll defend her Invicta FC featherweight tit…
If Cris “Cyborg” Justino sticks to her word, Invicta FC president Shannon Knapp is keeping a spot open for her.
Cyborg shot down a reported UFC 201 fight with Germaine de Randamie recently, stating that she’ll defend her Invicta FC featherweight title next.
Knapp told MMAjunkie that the Invicta FC 18 event on July 29 – one day before UFC 201 in Atlanta – would move ahead with Cyborg in the main event if that is the road she decides to take. Knapp, though, stressed that she is currently signed to a Zuffa contract and could be placed on that card instead.
“I’m working on the 29th,” she said. “If all parties agree, then certainly she would (headline).”
Cyborg (16-1) ran through Leslie Smith at UFC 198 this past weekend. The contest took place at a catchweight of 140 pounds, though the Brazilian came in a pound under that mark. She has stated issues with trying to get down to 135 in the past to compete for the UFC’s bantamweight division.
Despite a report from “UFC Tonight” that stated Cris “Cyborg” Justino’s next fight would come at UFC 201, the Invicta FC featherweight champion plans to defend her title.
Cyborg, who earned a win over Leslie Smith this past weekend at UFC 198 in her…
Despite a report from “UFC Tonight” that stated Cris “Cyborg” Justino’s next fight would come at UFC 201, the Invicta FC featherweight champion plans to defend her title.
Cyborg, who earned a win over Leslie Smith this past weekend at UFC 198 in her Octagon debut, refuted the claim on social media. She was linked to a matchup with Germaine de Randamie at the July card from Atlanta.
Following her successful Octagon debut at UFC 198 this past Saturday night in her hometown of Curitiba, Brazil, Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino is now back in the discussion for a super fight with Ronda Rousey, which even M…
Following her successful Octagon debut at UFC 198 this past Saturday night in her hometown of Curitiba, Brazil, Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino is now back in the discussion for a super fight with Ronda Rousey, which even MMA oddsmakers are getting in on.
This week, online betting website Bookmaker.eu issued opening odds on a potential Cris Cyborg vs. Ronda Rousey UFC super fight, and surprisingly enough, Cyborg is listed as an underdog.
The online betting website currently has Cris Cyborg listed as a +220 underdog, while Rousey is a -280 favorite.
As things stand now, there is still no clear cut news regarding when and where Rousey will make her UFC return. She last fought in November of 2015, losing via devastating knockout to Holly Holm in Melbourne, Australia.
After her big UFC debut victory on Saturday, Cris Cyborg challenged Rousey to fight her at UFC 205. “Don’t be scared homie,” wrote Cyborg on social media.
Cris Cyborg has finally debuted in the UFC. That much should be celebrated. The path forward; however, gets complicated for Cyborg, the UFC, and women’s MMA in general.
Cyborg has long been hailed as one of the greatest women fighters ever, and her dominance certainly establishes her as a leading figure in the sport. Before Holly Holm’s headkick, a Cyborg-Rousey bout would have been the fight of the century.
The biggest roadblock to that fight happening was Cyborg’s size. She drops down to 145 for her Invicta FC bouts, but she is said to walk around at 170. Cutting to 135 might not have been possible or safe for Cyborg to do, and because Rousey was the MMA queen she was dictating terms and did not want to move up in weight.
Fighting at the 140 catch weight at UFC 198 was probably a trial run of sorts to see if she could get down to 135. Cyborg was terrific, looked healthy (during the fight, weigh-ins not so much) and still retained her striking power and accuracy. After the fight she mentioned she felt a little quicker, which is a terrifying prospect. But she didn’t mention going down to 135 but instead expressed a desire to defend her Invicta FC title and fight at catch weights.
And here’s where things get sticky.
First, the UFC has no 145 lb women’s division. Creating one would not solve any of the problems Cyborg faces with Invicta. She simply has no one of her caliber to fight. Adding a division and signing fighters would just move the issue from one promotion to the other.
In the long run though, adding a division would encourage women to fight at 145, and possibly cultivate more talent. But, potential talent will not help Cyborg legitimize her abilities in the present.
Second, superfights make money and sell tickets, but do not provide sustainable growth to women’s MMA, which Cyborg (and the UFC presumably) want. Holly Holm fueled women’s MMA (and Rousey before her) because her victory was legitimate (she won a belt), and because she is still fighting in that same division as the current/now former champion. Holm’s fight was not a one off.
If Cyborg continues to purse catch weight superfights, like her recent calling out of Rousey, the lack of a UFC title will undermine the long term growth that could happen. But the UFC would be interested in the short game revenue that would be generated.
The best way forward, it would seem, for the UFC and women’s MMA, would be for Cyborg to join the other female Bantamweights.
However, Cyborg seems uninterested in moving to 135, and there are the aforementioned health concerns. She simply wants to continue defending her Invicta strap and pursue superfights.
So what should the UFC do with Cyborg? Should she be persuaded to go down to 135? Be given her own UFC weight class? Or just let the superfights roll?
Cris Cyborg has finally debuted in the UFC. That much should be celebrated. The path forward; however, gets complicated for Cyborg, the UFC, and women’s MMA in general.
Cyborg has long been hailed as one of the greatest women fighters ever, and her dominance certainly establishes her as a leading figure in the sport. Before Holly Holm’s headkick, a Cyborg-Rousey bout would have been the fight of the century.
The biggest roadblock to that fight happening was Cyborg’s size. She drops down to 145 for her Invicta FC bouts, but she is said to walk around at 170. Cutting to 135 might not have been possible or safe for Cyborg to do, and because Rousey was the MMA queen she was dictating terms and did not want to move up in weight.
Fighting at the 140 catch weight at UFC 198 was probably a trial run of sorts to see if she could get down to 135. Cyborg was terrific, looked healthy (during the fight, weigh-ins not so much) and still retained her striking power and accuracy. After the fight she mentioned she felt a little quicker, which is a terrifying prospect. But she didn’t mention going down to 135 but instead expressed a desire to defend her Invicta FC title and fight at catch weights.
And here’s where things get sticky.
First, the UFC has no 145 lb women’s division. Creating one would not solve any of the problems Cyborg faces with Invicta. She simply has no one of her caliber to fight. Adding a division and signing fighters would just move the issue from one promotion to the other.
In the long run though, adding a division would encourage women to fight at 145, and possibly cultivate more talent. But, potential talent will not help Cyborg legitimize her abilities in the present.
Second, superfights make money and sell tickets, but do not provide sustainable growth to women’s MMA, which Cyborg (and the UFC presumably) want. Holly Holm fueled women’s MMA (and Rousey before her) because her victory was legitimate (she won a belt), and because she is still fighting in that same division as the current/now former champion. Holm’s fight was not a one off.
If Cyborg continues to purse catch weight superfights, like her recent calling out of Rousey, the lack of a UFC title will undermine the long term growth that could happen. But the UFC would be interested in the short game revenue that would be generated.
The best way forward, it would seem, for the UFC and women’s MMA, would be for Cyborg to join the other female Bantamweights.
However, Cyborg seems uninterested in moving to 135, and there are the aforementioned health concerns. She simply wants to continue defending her Invicta strap and pursue superfights.
So what should the UFC do with Cyborg? Should she be persuaded to go down to 135? Be given her own UFC weight class? Or just let the superfights roll?
