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Cyborg pushes UFC for fight with Rousey: 'This fight has to happen'

J. Kopaloff / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Ronda Rousey's 34-second drumming of Bethe Correia furthered her standing atop the bantamweight division, but it didn't dissuade Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino from trying to get a matchup of her own.

No fighter has come close to threatening Rousey for her bantamweight belt, and it continues to appear Cyborg is the only female in the realm of mixed martial arts that could.

Though the fighters continue to parry between who should cut weight, and who should gain (they're separated by 10 pounds), the one constant is the notion the two must eventually go toe-to-toe.

Cyborg - the Invicta FC featherweight champ - appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter on Wednesday, talking about the potential fight, and urging the UFC to make it happen.

"This fight has to happen," Cyborg said, according to Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting. "If the UFC thinks I don't deserve this fight, don't do it for me. Do it for all the fans."

Rousey, the 135-pound champ has maintained a stubborn attitude throughout the narrative, claiming Cyborg should have to cut, rather than she having to gain, while also criticizing Cyborg's steroid abuse from four years ago.

The Brazilian, however, has remained adamant she's clean.

"It was 2011. I have passed six tests and the same exams she's doing, because we're in the same organization now," Cyborg said.

Adding to the discussion, Nick Kalikas of MMAOddsBreaker.com has Rousey as the favorite in a 140-pound catchweight fight at minus-325, while Cyborg would be a plus-260 underdog.

"Cyborg is perceived as the only true threat to Rousey's reign," Kalikas said to Brett Okamoto of ESPN.

Kalikas is also keeping odds for a potential 135-pound fight.

"Due to concerns about whether or not Cyborg could make the 135-pound weight limit, I'm opening lines at 135 and 140-pound catchweight," Kalikas said.

The UFC and both fighters continue to discuss the stipulations for the potential fight, which is targeted to happen in 2016.

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