Cyborg calls Rousey 'a low-level person,' says 'she is running away from me'
Okay, all that talk about how Ronda Rousey's dominance may eventually leave her without many opponents? Crazy talk.
The line to fight Rousey continues to be crowded, with multiple names speaking up in hopes of getting a shot at the UFC women's bantamweight crown, or just at Rousey herself. A Gina Carano signing is expected sometime soon - which would include an assumed fight against Rousey - and while Rousey herself wants Bethe Correia "now," it's Cristiane "Cyborg" Justino making the most noise about a fight.
In an interview with MMAFighting.com that was published Friday, Cyborg accused Rousey of ducking a potential matchup with her:
As always, (Rousey) is trying to pick her next opponent. She is running away from me and asking to fight Bethe (Correia). If she was so sure about everything she says, she would have already accepted to fight me like she accepted to fight Gina Carano at any weight, fight Cain Velasquez, (Floyd) Mayweather. Grow up, Ronda.
Justino was also upset at comments Rousey had made in Brazil recently, when Rousey suggested drug-testing would be a roadblock to making the fight happen:
I would fight her, but 24 hours after the announcement of out-of-competition drug testing, she asked to be released from the UFC. I’m under contract with the UFC, I can’t leave. She can come back whenever she wants, I’m here.
...
And really, to be honest, I haven’t been really too impressed with her actual skill set. It’s only her strength that she draws off...The mistakes that she makes technically are absolutely terrible and basic. The only reason why she gets away with it is because of her strength.
To that, Cyborg responded "what she says means nothing to me," but added that Rousey is "a low-level person."
In terms of an actual fight coming together, it would definitely sell if the details could be worked out. Namely, the featherweight Justino and bantamweight Rousey would need to agree on a weight, the UFC and Justino would need to work out a deal, and the UFC would have to be confident that Justino would test clean following a 2011 positive test for stanozolol that led to a one-year suspension.
Cybord (14-1 [1]) hasn't lost since her mixed martial arts debut in 2005, and even owns a win over Carano from 2009 - the only blemish on Carano's record. Rousey, of course, is a perfect 10-0 and has only been taken out of the first round once.