UFC women’s bantamweight champ Ronda Rousey and UFC president Dana White have made it clear that they will not be meeting former Strikeforce champ Cris Cyborg in the middle. There will be no catchweight bouts to make it easier for the Invicta 145 pound champ to get a crack at Rousey.
After Ronda Rousey demolished her last two opponents in a combined 30 seconds fans are eager to see her challenged. Former champion boxer Holly Holm, who made her UFC tonight in the co-main event, was supposed to make a statement and emerge as a challenger for Rousey. But after barely eeking out a split decision win over 5-5 Raquel Pennington, it’s obvious Holm won’t be the one to test Rousey.
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And since Cyborg demolished Charmaine Tweet last night at Invicta 11 with Dana White in the audience, everyone at tonight’s UFC 184 press conference wanted to ask about Cyborg.
For her part Ronda didn’t appreciate a reporter saying that Cyborg was “casting a shadow” over her UFC career.
“I really don’t feel like there’s anything hanging over this fight tonight. I think we took a Women’s main event and co-main event and still sold out the staples center. There’s nothing hanging over this, I’m proud of what I did tonight,” snapped Rousey in response.
For his part Dana took time out from insisting Cyborg make 135 pounds to pour cold water on any hint of Cyborg hype, “she definitely not fighting the caliber of opponents Ronda has been facing. (Ronda’s) the champ. Why would the champ go there? It doesn’t make sense. She’s 135 lb champ here, she’s dominant. The champ doesn’t chase other people.
She’s got to make the weight. If she makes the weight, she can make the weight. She looks nowhere near 135 lbs last night.”
He did hasten to make it clear that it’s not Rousey that’s the hold up, “(Ronda) will never say it, but she won’t say it in public so I’ll say it. She asks me all the time, saying ‘I’ll fight her whenever she makes 135.’
“She will fight her. She wants to fight her in a minute if she makes 135 lbs. She wants to fight her. She’s not saying it. It’s not on Ronda. She’s the 135 lb champion and breaking all these records. Cyborg has to make the weight, and this fight is going to happen.”
For her part, Cyborg told ESPN following her win last night that she’s working to lose the weight.
“I’m doing my best now to make 135, I have a new diet coach. He follows me and I’m doing my best to make that, because the UFC doesn’t have my weight class at 145. We have goals now and we work together, the UFC and Invicta, to get there.”
So stay tuned fight fans. Sooner or later maybe this fight will get booked.
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