Word has been spreading that the UFC is making inquiries regarding the long-awaited superfight between Ronda Rousey and Cris "Cyborg" Justino. With that in mind, Justino's nutritionist, George Lockhart, appeared on Monday's edition of The MMA Hour to field questions regarding her potential weight cut down to 135 pounds.
When asked, flat out, if he believed Cyborg could get down to the bantamweight division's weight limit, he quickly answered, "Yes, we can." That, on its own, is a big deal given how many have questioned whether or not Cyborg (who made a name for herself by physically overwhelming all competition at 145 pounds) would even be capable of cutting down that far.
When the line of questioning shifted to "when," he was similarly optimistic.
"The more time we have, the better, obviously," he said. "We could get her down there in four to six months."
A Rousey vs. Cyborg superfight has long ranked among the biggest fights in play for the UFC. Unfortunately, Cyborg has never been keen on dropping down to Rousey's fighting weight of 135 pounds, and the UFC has refused to entertain the thought of its top star facing a potential one-and-done opponent.
Last Friday, however, Cyborg's former manager, Tito Ortiz, stated in an interview with Inside MMA that the UFC is making calls regarding a Rousey vs. Cyborg superfight. Cyborg's current manager, George Prajin, followed that by saying Cyborg was willing to make the cut down to 135 pounds in order to face Rousey.
There has never been any question that a Rousey vs. Cyborg fight would do huge business. The issue has long been if the UFC was willing to take on the risk of making the fight with no guarantees of Cyborg remaining in the UFC for any length of time. Should she drop to 135 pounds, however, it removes a great deal of the doubt surrounding her long-term value to the promotion.
Lockhart is confident she can do it and believes she would be able to do it in time for UFC 194, which is currently scheduled for Dec. 5.
"If they want her to fight Dec. 5, it would be within the timeline," he said. "It would be close, but she could definitely make 135 before Dec. 5."
Of course, there's no guarantee that the UFC is prepared to pull the trigger on the fight for that date. There has been more than a little discussion over the past week of packaging a Rousey threematch with Miesha Tate alongside the upcoming Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor featherweight title unification bout. As such, it is entirely possible the UFC is just getting an early feel for Justino's availability and time frame for a potential weight cut.
Still, the fact that Cyborg's entire camp is discussing her moving to 135 pounds by a certain date is definitely a positive sign for fans hoping to see the Invicta FC champ make a run in the UFC. Keep an eye on Bleacher Report for more news as it breaks.
