Cris Cyborg Shoots Down Reports of UFC 201, Intent on Defending Invicta FC Belt

Minutes after UFC Tonight aired a report that a fight between Cris “Cyborg” Justino and Germaine de Randamie was in the works for UFC 201 on July 30 in Atlanta, Ga., Cyborg shot it down.

A report surfaced on Wednesday’s edition of UFC Tonight, saying that the UFC was hoping to make the fight for the recently announced fight card, which is headlined by Robbie Lawler defending his welterweight belt against Tyron Woodley. Cyborg, however, categorically denied the story.

“It’s not true. I will defend my world title, 145 pounds, next at Invicta Fights,” she wrote on Twitter.

Cyborg is coming off of a victory over Leslie Smith in a 140-pound catchweight bout at UFC 198 in Curitiba, Brazil, over the weekend. The fight was her Octagon debut. While she hasn’t been shy about saying she would like to fight for the UFC again, she also has made it clear that she isn’t ready to abandon her Invicta FC featherweight championship. A point she continued to reinforce following Wednesday night’s report.

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Still open to fighting at the 140-pound catchweight, Cyborg’s only current UFC targets, according to her tweets, are Ronda Rousey and current bantamweight champion Miesha Tate.

“I’m a champion in 145 pounds. UFC does not have my category. But you have no right to delete my division,” she continued. “Don’t do any good to try to manipulate my fans. I will be defending my belt in the next fight.”

Unless there is a drastic change in Cyborg’s mind set in the near future, don’t expect her to fight at UFC 201. Look for her to defend her Invicta FC title.

Although she did leave a crack in the cage door, tweeting to de Randamie, “I will fight anyone in the world in my division. We can make fight for my belt at 145 pounds.”

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