Ronda Rousey vs Cris Cyborg: Justino Needs to Agree to Catchweight To Make the Fight Happen
Ultimate Fighting Championship women's bantamweight champion Ronda "Rowdy" Rousey insisted she is open to facing Invicta FC featherweight champion Cris "Cyborg" Justino, but in her own terms.
Rousey has been linked to a blockbuster showdown with Cyborg over the past several years, but several factors have prevented the fight from happening.
According to Rousey, the fight will happen if Cyborg agrees to give into her terms -- the fight should be promoted by UFC and will take place at the 135-pound division.
Rousey took a swipe at Cyborg, saying that the Invicta FC star could make the weight if she will not use any performance-enhancing drugs to bulk up. Cyborg tested positive for steroids following a successful Strikeforce featherweight title defense in December 2011.
"I'm prepared to deal with anything, that's why I'm the champion," Rousey said via ESPN. "I fight in the UFC, in the 135-pound division. She can fight at 145 pumped full of steroids or she can make the weight just like everybody else without them."
Justino, who holds an impressive 14-1 record, has fought at 145 pounds, but will go down to 140 in her next fight. After that, the Brazilian will reportedly try to fight at 135 pounds in order to test if she can retain her strength for a possible 135-pound showdown with Rousey.
UFC president Dana White also insisted that the fight has to happen at 135 pounds, turning down proposals for a catchweight. He insisted UFC and Rousey is ready to make the fight happen, but Cyborg has to go down to 135.
"The Cyborg thing is complicated, because everybody is ready to go," White told reporters. "I'm ready for Cyborg. Ronda is ready for Cyborg. Everybody is ready for that fight, but Cyborg has to make the weight."
Reacting to the statement made by Rousey, Cyborg posted a message on her Instagram account.
"To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture," Cyborg wrote. "It's not about winning and losing; it's about every day hard work and about thriving on a challenge. It's about embracing the pain that you'll experience at the end of a race and not being afraid. I think people think too hard and get afraid of a certain challenge."
Rousey, who improved to 11-0 following her first-round knockout win against Bethe Correia at UFC 190 on Saturday in Rio de Janeiro, will likely face Miesha Tate in a rematch in her next fight before considering facing Cyborg.
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