If Ronda Rousey makes her return at UFC 205 on Nov. 12, Cris "Cyborg" Justino looms as a formidable and willing opponent.
Justino posted comments on social media Friday regarding a prospective bout with Rousey, per ESPN.com's Brett Okamoto:
I'm not trying to inspire you to suddenly become a better person, or become anything you're not. But there was a time in your life when you told people you wanted to fight me. Maybe you didn't quite understand the way the world worked then, but you also didn't care what anyone thought.
I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that you don't need to be the champ to fight me.
The media made you out to be the greatest female fighter of all time, and that is beautiful, because now everyone knows the real reason why you avoided a fight against Cris Cyborg. P4P #1 in the World for WMMA according to ESPN.
Cyborg proclaims herself to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in women's mixed martial arts. Such a gaudy label is at least up for debate following Rousey's loss to Holly Holm and prolonged absence from the Octagon.
With a 16-1 professional MMA record and the Invicta FC Featherweight Championship in tow, Justino has proved herself time and again. She recently lived up to the hype with a first-round knockout over Leslie Smith at UFC 198, her debut with the company.
The only blemish on Rousey's record is the defeat to Holm at UFC 193.
A fight between Justino and Rousey is a clash UFC fans would love to see. However, Justino and Rousey have been in different weight classes in the past, and the UFC and Rousey haven't been willing to book a catchweight fight, per Okamoto.
It's hard to envision a more glorious UFC return for Rousey than by silencing Justino with a rousing triumph over her vocal critic.
On the other hand, since Justino, who typically fights at 145 pounds, is bigger than the foes Rousey has faced before, no matter what the weight for their potential fight would be, Rowdy might be hard-pressed to handle Cyborg's physicality—especially following a lengthy hiatus from competition.
UFC President Dana White has said Rousey will get a title shot at 135 pounds once she returns, per Okamoto. Whether that'll be against Justino remains unclear.
