‘Cyborg’ threatens legal action after Ronda Rousey’s steroid comments
A potential fight between UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and all-world striker Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino has been talked about for years. You can go as far back as 2012 and find hypothetical betting odds between the two best female fighters on the planet.
After Rousey’s recent 34-second drubbing of Brazilian Bethe Correia at Saturday’s UFC 190 in Rio de Janeiro, talk about a Cyborg-vs.-Rousey matchup gained even more momentum, because fans and pundits unanimously view Justino as the only real test left for “Rowdy.”
There are a few caveats to the deal, however. First, Justino must make Rousey’s bantamweight divisional limit of 135 pounds – something she has yet to manage. And, of course, there is still the issue of signing Justino to an official UFC contract (she is currently signed to Invicta FC, the UFC’s all-female sister promotion).
According to Justino, however, the battle could first take place in a courtroom before it ever hits the Octagon.
The tweets from Justino are in response to numerous interviews Rousey gave before and after UFC 190. In an interview with Yahoo Sports, Rousey said, “If [Justino] can make 145 [pounds] all pumped full of steroids, you can get off the juice and fight in the division everybody else is in. I don’t see why I should be under pressure to prove something against her when she’s the one that has to prove something. She’s the one that has to prove that she’s not a fraud.”
Apparently Cyborg didn’t appreciate the comments and took to social media in an attempt to threaten the champ with litigation.
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Normally, Justino might have a case since Rousey’s comments were defamatory.
However, given the fact that Justino tested positive for the anabolic steroid, Stanozolol, after a 2011 Strikeforce bout, it is hardly being slanderous.
Justino was stripped of her Strikeforce championship after the positive test and didn’t fight again for a year and a half, in a new promotion (Invicta FC).
In 2011, the same year that Justino lost her belt, Rousey made her professional MMA debut. Now, Rousey is the greatest female fighter in MMA and Justino has been chasing a fight with the Rowdy one ever since.
UFC president Dana White hinted on Saturday about a potential trilogy match between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate in December at AT&T stadium in Dallas, so if Justino wants a fight with Rousey – inside the cage or the courtroom – she had best be prepared to wait.
Fans, too.
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Ryan McKinnell is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports Cagewriter blog. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
