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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Though Ronda Rousey's next fight is set against Bethe Correia this summer, the name that won't go away is Cris "Cyborg" Justino.
Rousey's coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, discussed that situation this week in an interview with Submission Radio, and said once again that Rousey's ready for that fight at any time. Cyborg just has to do her part.
"It doesn't matter what she says. I'm sick and tired of hearing that girl's name," Tarverdyan said. "It really doesn't matter what she says. She knows where Ronda is, UFC is ready. Dana and everybody is ready to sign her, and even though Ronda's the best in the world, we don't even need her in the way, you know? She just talks for no reason, you know? Don't talk, make the division, come to the UFC, and we're ready to fight. Ronda's ready to fight.
"Doesn't matter who it is, Ronda loves challenges," he continued. "She went back to back with a hurt knee against - she had to do operate [on] her knee, she still fought with a knee like that with Sara McMann [who] nobody beat at that time and good wrestler, silver medallist, and stopped her with a body shot. Ronda loves challenges, so it's not like Ronda's scared. That's just unnecessary talk. Ronda would want to fight her tomorrow.
"If you're telling Ronda you're fighting tomorrow, she's making the weight. Ronda will make the weight definitely within the day. 100 percent Ronda would make the weight in one day. She's done it before in the ultimate fighter. How does Ronda make weight in one day? She lost all of that weight, 20 pounds - more I would say - in one day. So Ronda will fight her tomorrow. That's 100 percent a fact. I know my fighters. We can't lie about things like this, because if we lie, we can't be true to ourselves when we train, and when I talk about Ronda, everything is a fact. Everything is true. Ronda is ready to fight Cyborg any given day. Ronda will demolish Cyborg also."
Penick's Analysis: The hardline stance that Cyborg has to make 135 lbs. for that fight gets hurt a bit by Rousey's willingness to grant catchweight fights to people like Gina Carano and Laila Ali. That said, Cyborg's past steroid test failure and a lack of respect between the two means Rousey doesn't owe her any considerations. Of course it'd be better to just have the fight and end the talk, but I can understand Rousey's stance a little bit on that front. Regardless, when she says she'd take catchweights with others, it does hurt the argument against doing so with Cyborg. Still, when Cyborg has said she'll come down to fight Rousey but then hasn't followed through herself, she's not helping herself there, either. It's all a mess, and hopefully it eventually makes its way to the Octagon to end any speculation.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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