Former Strikeforce Women's Featherweight Champion Cristiane 'Cyborg' Santos passed on a great opportunity to face UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda 'Rowdy' Rousey. At first the weight seemed to be an issue, but Mike Chiappetta says it was the money, not the weight that was a problem.
Mike Chiappetta from MMA Fighting revealed that Cris Cyborg and her manager Tito Ortiz passed on the chance to fight Ronda Rousey for the first women's fight ever at UFC 157. Mike Chiappetta (Bloody Elbow) explains what happened, because it had nothing to do with Cyborg not being able to cut to 135 lbs:
While (match weight) was at the center of most conversations in the media regarding the inability to make the Cyborg-Rousey fight, it was not the deal-breaker it's been reported to be.
During the ongoing negotiations, which lingered for about two months, the promotion agreed to pay for the services of a dieting and nutrition consultant like Dolce. But there were other points that the two sides could not agree on.
The biggest issue, according to Cyborg's management firm Primetime 360, was Zuffa treating Cyborg as a bit player rather than an event co-star.
During the ongoing negotiations, which lingered for about two months, the promotion agreed to pay for the services of a dieting and nutrition consultant like Dolce. But there were other points that the two sides could not agree on.
The biggest issue, according to Cyborg's management firm Primetime 360, was Zuffa treating Cyborg as a bit player rather than an event co-star.
Dave Meltzer also commented at Wrestling Observer:
The problem is, and this is huge, is that after Cyborg beat Carano, Cyborg's subsequent fights garnered very little interest. It surprised me seeing how big the Carano fight was, the reaction, the ratings, the attendance, etc. While Carano was clearly the star, one would have thought Cyborg would have come out of such a big win on the first women's main event that set record Showtime MMA ratings as a big star herself. There are obvious conclusions you can draw as to why that didn't happen, but I think UFC recognizes that it didn't.
Rousey vs. Cyborg can be promoted with the UFC's marketing behind it as the biggest women's fight in history and insiders may feel Cyborg is still the best fighter, although the steroid issue as it pertains to this fight is huge. Because women don't produce the level of testosterone as men, a woman on steroids has far more of a competitive edge against someone clean than a man would under the same circumstances. We can all play pretend, but Cyborg did fail a test, and even if she hadn't, photos of Brazilian handball star Cristiane Justino and fighter Cris Cyborg can challenge any before-and-after Barry Bonds photos.
Cyborg did pass all her tests prior to her Invicta fight last month, and she was tested during some of her other fights. But given the nature and limitations of testing when you know in advance when you are tested, that doesn't mean a whole lot.
Today, Cyborg on the outside is not nearly the star that Liz Carmouche or Miesha Tate are. But if she signs with UFC, she will be. One can only argue, and this is a valid one, that her management should have come up with a long-term battle plan for her to naturally get her bodyweight to 145-150, where the cut to 135 wouldn't be harsh. She would lose muscle and strength, but that's part of the game, and it's hard for people to have sympathy because of the belief of how she got that much muscle and strength. I can recall talking to Marloes Coenen, after she had come-from-behind to beat Carmouche, and she was remarking that Carmouche was deceptively strong. "But not Cyborg strong," noting Cyborg had the strength of the male fighters she's trained with.
Rousey vs. Cyborg can be promoted with the UFC's marketing behind it as the biggest women's fight in history and insiders may feel Cyborg is still the best fighter, although the steroid issue as it pertains to this fight is huge. Because women don't produce the level of testosterone as men, a woman on steroids has far more of a competitive edge against someone clean than a man would under the same circumstances. We can all play pretend, but Cyborg did fail a test, and even if she hadn't, photos of Brazilian handball star Cristiane Justino and fighter Cris Cyborg can challenge any before-and-after Barry Bonds photos.
Cyborg did pass all her tests prior to her Invicta fight last month, and she was tested during some of her other fights. But given the nature and limitations of testing when you know in advance when you are tested, that doesn't mean a whole lot.
Today, Cyborg on the outside is not nearly the star that Liz Carmouche or Miesha Tate are. But if she signs with UFC, she will be. One can only argue, and this is a valid one, that her management should have come up with a long-term battle plan for her to naturally get her bodyweight to 145-150, where the cut to 135 wouldn't be harsh. She would lose muscle and strength, but that's part of the game, and it's hard for people to have sympathy because of the belief of how she got that much muscle and strength. I can recall talking to Marloes Coenen, after she had come-from-behind to beat Carmouche, and she was remarking that Carmouche was deceptively strong. "But not Cyborg strong," noting Cyborg had the strength of the male fighters she's trained with.
Hopefully this fight will still happen as it would be a great fight!