Cyborg 'makes' weight but Akano may back out
The first women's fight under the Strikeforce banner in 2009 has turned into a three ring circus. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos missed the 145-pound weight limit badly when she came in at 152, even with the weigh-in delayed 30 minutes. Her opponent Hitomi Akano, who normally fights in the 135 range, didn't have to cut any weight and came in under the limit at 143.5.
For the fight to be waged, the California State Athletic Commission requires a maximum six pound difference between the fighters. Cyborg was given until 8 p.m. PT (5 1/2 hours) to cut 2 1/2 pounds getting her within six pounds of Akano. She accomplished that by 7 p.m. PT but now Akano is throwing a wrench into the mix. She may not agree to fight Cyborg and is threatening to pull out. Strikeforce sources said as of 7:45 p.m. PT they were "working" on making sure the fight happens.
If the fight does go down, Cyborg will be fined 20-percent of her purse.
