Tito Ortiz appeared last night on AXS TV's Inside MMA, but the talk didn't stay entirely focused on his upcoming fight with Bellator light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary. According to Ortiz, the UFC has offered Cris "Cyborg" Justino a fight with their top star, Ronda Rousey, in Dallas, Texas at Cowboys Stadium.
"I've heard from Cris [Justino] actually that the fight that's supposed to be happening at the Cowboy's arena... they offered the fight to Cris. I know her management said yes and I've told her, 'Let's do it,'" he said (h/t BloodyElbow.com's Nate Wilcox for the transcription).
"So I guess the ball's all in Ronda's corner and Ronda wants to do it. Dana said if Cris came down to 135 they'll make the fight happen, so let's see if Ronda accepts the fight."
While this is cause for a bit of hope, fans shouldn't start booking flights quite yet. A Rousey vs. Cyborg superfight has been talked about many times over the last few years but has never come close to materializing.
The UFC and Rousey have long demanded that a bout between MMA's leading ladies will need to take place at 135-pounds, and there is no indication from Ortiz that anything has changed in that regard.
Cyborg has previously stated she would begin working towards 135-pounds but has never actually attempted to cut past her traditional fighting weight of 145-pounds—which, it is worth noting, is a grueling cut for the musclebound Invicta FC champion. That said, many have criticized the insistence that the fight take place at 135-pounds, given how huge the fight could be on both a financial and pop cultural level.
The idea Cyborg and Rousey can't fight unless there's a belt on the line is ludicrous on its face.
— Luke Thomas (@SBNLukeThomas) August 2, 2015
It is also worth noting that Ortiz is no longer Cyborg's manager. While he still functions as an advocate and mouthpiece for the Brazilian, he is not steering her career in the way he used to.
All that said, it's hard not to feel like the fight between Rousey and Cyborg is closer than ever. Cyborg is currently signed to a mystery contract with the UFC's parent company, Zuffa, LLC, and hinted on Twitter that her next fight will be at 140-pounds.
Not only that but where UFC President Dana White would once tantrum (Warning: NSFW Language) when pressed on signing Cyborg, he now shows unrealistic optimism regarding the lucrative nature of the potential superfight.
Ultimately, time will with Cyborg. Invicta FC currently has events scheduled for September 12 and December, but Cyborg is not attached to either card. Keep an eye out on Bleacher Report to see if that changes.
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