Rousey may have gotten blown out of the water by Holly Holm, but she also defended the belt six times before that and managed to score wins over Meisha Tate, the woman who took the belt from Holly Holm, and Cat Zingano, the woman who scored a decisive victory over the current champ, Amanda Nunes.
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“I think in a ideal world, what everybody would love to see is Ronda vs. Cyborg, so everybody is waiting – I’m sure Cyborg is, too – for the return of Ronda Rousey”, White told Brazilian newspaper O Globo (via MMA Fighting).
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has not fought since losing the title to Holly Holm in November of past year.
“I think in a ideal world, what everybody would love to see is Ronda versus Cyborg, so everybody is waiting – I’m sure Cyborg is, too – is the return of Ronda Rousey”. The latest offender? That would be UFC President Dana White, who told Brazilian publication Combate in a recent interview that “There is a great chance of Ronda fighting Amanda Nunes and I am very confident that Ronda will probably fight before the end of the year”. White said that the UFC has no plans to add that division, but noted that a 125-pound division was a possibility.
Unfortunately for “Cyborg”, however, a featherweight division won’t be made “unless there’s anything that just explodes in the next couple of years”, according to White. “My coach says it will be good for me, I believe in him, and, man I fly from America to Brazil 168 pounds”.
But if Rousey doesn’t return, White is hoping that a few of the top-tier names in the 135-pound division will move up in weight to challenge Cyborg. “She mows people over very quickly and very violently”, White said. I think that when you talk about a headliner, somebody as big and as dominant and as scary as Cyborg is-she is a definite headliner-and obviously she is Brazilian, and she’s a big star down there.
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Speaking of Rousey, a fight with Cyborg is still the biggest showdown in all of women’s MMA. “She’s a big star all over the world”. The final UFC card of September is a Fight Night show in Brasilia, Brazil, where Cris Cyborg and newcomer Lina Lansberg will meet in a 140 lbs catchweight main event.
