Yesterday, news broke that 145-pound Invicta champion Cris Cyborg would be making her UFC debut in May against Leslie Smith at the UFC’s big 40,000 person stadium show in Brazil. Cyborg’s arrival in the UFC followed a year where she was signed with the promotion but continued to fight for Invicta because the UFC lacked a women’s featherweight division.
Cyborg’s fight with Smith will be contested at a 140 pound catchweight, but it’s unclear whether this is a one time allowance so Cris can fight in front of her home country or if they’ll allow anyone to fight her if they’re willing to accept a catchweight. Cyborg is talking like it’s the latter, and she’s already calling out everyone in the 135-pound women’s bantamweight division.
Mainly Ronda Rousey.
“Since she is no longer the champ and I am officially in the UFC, I do not see any reason why the fight between us can’t happen,” she said to TMZ Sports. “I realize Holly Holm kicked her into retirement, but maybe after [UFC 198] we could settle the feud in New York when the UFC comes to Madison Square Garden.”
“If Ronda is still retired, or has thought of a few more excuses to not fight me, then maybe Holly Holm or Miesha Tate are willing to fight. I want to make the biggest fights the fans want to see.”
UFC president Dana White recently claimed that Leslie Smith was the only fighter willing to step up and face Cyborg, which was interesting considering both Holm and Tate have voiced a willingness to fight her in the past. Up until Smith was announced as her opponent, many expected Cat Zingano to get the call as Cyborg’s opponent. Asked over Twitter about White’s comment, here’s what she had to say:
I would say that is inaccurate. https://t.co/7lI6oV9OrM
— Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) March 29, 2016
So it seems like there’s no shortage of options for Cris Cyborg … if the UFC is willing to bend their weight classes a little to accommodate her.