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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Not only will there be no disciplinary action towards Ronda Rousey for comments referring to Cris "Cyborg" Justino as an "it," but UFC President Dana White essentially backed it up with his own similar statements on Thursday.
During a media scrum prior to UFC 172, White said because Cyborg's a woman and not a transgendered woman, Rousey wasn't crossing any lines with her comments.
"She's not a transgender fighter," White said (via FoxSports.com). "She's a woman. What Ronda is saying is [Cyborg has] taken so many drugs, she's probably not a woman anymore. She's not a transgender fighter. She didn't have a surgery."
"She called [Cyborg] an 'it.' [Cyborg] calls Ronda a chicken. Is Ronda a chicken? Should Ronda be offended by being called a chicken? Grow the f*** up, everybody."
White chalked it down to a part of the fight game, where "people say mean things about each other." He also backed up comments he made after the World MMA Awards in Las Vegas about Cyborg.
"I said when I saw her at the MMA Awards, she looked like Wanderlei Silva in a dress and heels," White said. "And she did. Did she not? Who wants to dispute that she didn't look like Wanderlei? [She was] jacked up on steroids beyond belief and looked like Wanderlei Silva."
Of course, Cyborg hasn't failed a test since her one slip up in late 2011, but that hasn't stopped White from that stance. Because of that, he says it's "not worth it" to sign her anyway.
"She's a nightmare in every way shape and form to bring in as a professional athlete in an organization like this," White said.
Penick's Analysis: Yes, calling someone a "chicken" is the same thing as accusing them of drug use to the point that they're no longer identifiable in their gender. Look, Cyborg failed a drug test for steroids, and I have little sympathy for her taking some heat because of that. But saying she was "jacked up on steroids beyond belief" is just absolutely false, and calling her an "it" should be unacceptable from a top professional athlete. The UFC has a supposed code of conduct for these things, but with White leading the way it's just getting brushed aside.
[Dana White art by Travis Beaven (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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