Dana White Revised: Now Believes Ronda Rousey vs. Cris Cyborg Would Do 2.5 Million Buys
UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey has run rampant through her weight class to the point that she’s going to fight Miesha Tate, someone that she’s beaten convincingly twice before, for a third time. That fight could happen in conjunction with a Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor fight in December at AT&T Stadium in Dallas.
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Rousey has wins over the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth-ranked fighters the 135-pound division. Her dominance over the competition has caused many to search their minds to find anyone that could challenge the undefeated champion. There’s predominantly only one name that pops into their heads: Cris “Cyborg” Justino. But Justino fights in a weight class above, at featherweight (145-pounds).
It’s a match-up that’s been on the minds of almost everyone since the two held titles in the Strikeforce promotion. It’s a fight that hardcore fans have wanted for a long time and one that casual fans would tune in to see. But there’s only one hiccup in putting together the biggest fight in women’s MMA history.
“The day that (Cyborg) makes the weight and does what she’s supposed to do, that fight is on. She wants that fight – everybody—you think I don’t’ want that fight to happen? That fight – now I’m changing my mind on that fight – I think that fight does two-and-a-half million buys. That fight is massive,” said UFC president Dana White after Rousey’s 34-second knockout win at UFC 190.
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Cyborg hasn’t been defeated in a decade. Her dominance over featherweight division is only shadowed by Rousey’s at bantamweight. A fight between the two is there for the making, as long as Justino weighs in at 135 pounds.
“The fight is there for Cyborg. She can make 145 (pounds) pumped full of steroids. She can move down without them. I’m not going anywhere. I don’t’ see why everyone acts like I have so much to prove when she’s the one that has to prove that she can actually fight legitimately,” said Rousey during the UFC 190 Post Show.
White laid out the roadmap for Justino to get an immediately title shot against Rousey in her UFC debut.
“She has to make the weight. She has to make the weight, she has to fight, and she has to be healthy,” he said. “She needs to go out, she needs to make the weight, compete at that weight, and she can come right here and fight Ronda.
“The Cyborg thing is complicated because everybody is ready to go. I'm ready for Cyborg. Ronda is ready for Cyborg. Every body is ready for that fight, but Cyborg has to make the weight,” said White during the UFC 190 post-fight press conference. “That fight is ready to roll whenever Cyborg is ready.”
