Current featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino said that she’d fight Ronda Rousey, but not in the UFC.
Cris Cyborg is currently sitting comfortably atop the UFC landscape but is still somewhat entertained by the idea of fighting Ronda Rousey. However, she believes it would be better suited for the WWE.
Justino said on her website:
“If Ronda is wanting to make the fight for the fans, I would still be willing to give them it, but I think it would be better to take place inside the WWE ring. For her, it gets her one step closer to Hollywood and for me, it would be another exciting challenge and a chance to test my athletic ability.”
Rousey’s coach Edmond Tarverdyan told The MMA Hour that I would like to see Ronda Rousey make a return to the Octagon one more time for a fight against Cris Cyborg.
Rousey has not fought since losing in the first round by punches to Amanda Nunes in December 2016. It was her second loss after she was knocked out by Holly Holm at UFC 193 in 2015.
She has yet to fight Cyborg, who currently holds the UFC’s women’s featherweight title. Justino has taken over Rousey’s title as the most feared female fighter in MMA. Coming off a TKO win against Tonya Evinger at UFC 214, the Brazilian has 16 knockouts.
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The matchup was discussed in past years but never came to fruition.
I don't want Rousey in the UFC cage, but would accept her in the WWE ring! https://t.co/BnruVbAZyw
— @CrisCyborg.Com (@criscyborg) September 19, 2017
“When I wanted to fight her, it was because she was at the top of her game and she had all of the confidence in the world, she had not been KO’d twice in a row, and some people were actually saying she could beat Floyd Mayweather in a fight.”
Justino said.
“I wanted the challenge so bad I almost killed myself trying to make the lowest weight possible just to give this fight to the fans, and she made every excuse for it not to happen. Both of us are now at different chapters in our careers, and for me that chapter is finished.”
Rumors have been swirling that, at UFC 219 on December 30, Cyborg will face Holly Holm, the woman who started the end of Rousey’s reign in the UFC.
However, nothing is official at this point.
Source: middleeasy.com