One of the key stipulations, both from the UFC and from Ronda Rousey’s camp, for a potential matchup between the bantamweight champion and Invicta’s featherweight title holder Cris Cyborg, is that Cyborg has to make 135 lbs. Dana White even went on the record, recently, to make it clear that “The champion doesn’t chase contenders.” Which, of course, shines a pretty bright spotlight on the recent war of words between Leila Ali and the UFC champ.
Leila Ali told reporters, when asked if Rousey could beat her, “Of course not. She’s too much smaller than me anyways.” And that prompted Rousey to shoot back that size wasn’t an issue, “So you can’t count having a size and strength advantage as having a real advantage against me.” And that she was “around” if Ali was really interested in a fight. All of which, leads back around to Cyborg, and the stipulation that she meet Rousey at 135 lbs, or the bout won’t happen.
Honda say she ll fight Ali and she is 40lb heawy but won’t fight m with a 5lb difference @rondarousey is AFRAID of me pic.twitter.com/WbpKN3Mngg
— Cris Cyborg (@criscyborg) March 12, 2015
Obviously the fight between Rousey and Ali was purely hypothetical, and neither woman was actively pursuing the bout. But, as Rousey has also gone on record to say that she’d like to fight Gina Carano, who herself has only fought at 135 lbs once, it’s beginning to sound more and more like the proclamation of no catchweight bouts really only applies to Cyborg and nobody else.
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