Germaine de Randamie issues statement after UFC strips her of title

After being stripped of the UFC women’s featherweight title, Germaine de Randamie vows to move on with her octagon career.

“That I’m stripped does not mean I’m stopping,” she wrote today in a prepared statement shortly after the promotion announced it’s moving on.

She added, “The UFC is not long for me! It’s easy to stand with the crowd. It takes Courage to stand alone.”

The message raised questions about de Randamie’s desire to compete in the UFC, but her manager, Brian Butler, today told MMAjunkie the now-former champ will “100 percent” continue to fight for the industry-leader and is awaiting a fight at bantamweight, where she’s competed in MMA after a career in muay Thai at featherweight.

Meanwhile, the UFC is putting the women’s featherweight title up for grabs again when Cristiane Justino (17-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) faces Megan Anderson (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 214, which takes place July 29 at Anaheim, Calif., and airs live on pay-per-view.

Randamie (8-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC), nicknamed “The Iron Lady,” was defiant toward fans and MMA observers who might question her decision to turn down a fight with No. 1 contender “Cyborg” at UFC 214 in what would have been her first title defense.

As she wrote: “Well, I hear you thinking again ‘She’s scared! What a bad champion! A shame for the sport! She did not deserve to be a champion!’ Etc .. etc .. I’ve seen it all over. But apart from what everyone thinks / finds, I’m walking my own path. And there you can agree or not.”

This past month, De Randamie put the recently formed women’s 145-pound weight class on hold when she said she wouldn’t fight Justino, branding the Brazilian star “a known and proven cheater” who “is trying to beat the system rather than just conforming to the rules.”

Justino, who’s previously failed two drug tests and was recently cleared by UFC anti-doping partner USADA, fired back on Twitter, writing, “Some people are so afraid to lose that they will find every excuse not to try” (via Twitter):

The refusal was the latest twist in the 33-year-old Dutch fighter’s short and rocky title reign. She claimed the inaugural belt with a unanimous-decision win over over ex-bantamweight champion Holly Holm (11-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) at UFC 208 – a bout made when Justino turned down the fight, citing health concerns from a brutal weight cut for her previous fight – and then said she may need surgery to repair a hand injury. She welcomed an immediate rematch with Holm in light of criticism she took for landing multiple late punches. But she subsequently said her doctor would determine her next step.

De Randamie was scarcely heard from during the next three months as Justino pushed for a title fight at UFC 214. Butler initially told MMAjunkie she was dealing with personal and work issues after rumors surfaced she would retire. But she then did an abrupt about-face and declared she would not fight Justino, inviting the promotion to strip her of the belt.

De Randamie’s title reign lasted just four months. But as her statement indicates, she is steadfast in her desire to continue fighting.

De Randamie’s full statement:

“As many of you will know, the UFC has stripped me from the belt. For those of us who do not know what that means; The UFC has unpacked my title because I refuse to fight against their number one challenger. (I have my reasons for that) It’s great to hear this news from the media and I’m sorry that it’s running, but it’s what it’s!

“Well, I hear you thinking again ‘She’s scared! What a bad champion! A shame for the sport! She did not deserve to be a champion! ” Etc .. etc .. I’ve seen it all over. But apart from what everyone thinks / finds, I’m walking my own path. And there you can agree or not.

“That I’m stripped does not mean I’m stopping. This only means that I have even more reasons to knock NOG (literally sometimes ??) for which I stand and what I want.

“The UFC is not long for me !! It’s easy to stand with the crowd. It takes Courage to stand alone???? ‘Die with memories not dreams!'”

For more on UFC 214, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.